Victoria’s Sports Minister says the numbers prove Sunday’s controversial UFC bout was good for Victoria.

He defended the sport in a willing debate with Neil Mitchell.

‘Like any other sporting event that we have, Neil, it’s worth a lot of money to our economy,’ Mr Eren said.

‘Whether we like this or not, Neil, it’s happening. It’s happening around Australia and around the world.’

That prompted Neil Mitchell to ask whether he would consider sports like bull-fighting if they could bring big crowds and international TV viewers.

And the Minister’s response was a bit surprising.

Click play to hear the feisty debate.