The Labor Party is standing by its election promise to legalise cage fighting despite fierce opposition from Victoria Police and anti-violence groups.
While it's not everybody's cup of tea, mixed martial arts has been a part of Victoria's sporting calendar for a number of years, Minister for Consumer Affairs Jane Garrett says.
"It's an international sport and this election promise will absolutely be honoured," she told reporters on Saturday.
"The cage is designed to protect competitors and the audience."
Opposition spokesman Michael O'Brien slammed the decision describing the sport as `gratuitous violence'.
"Daniel Andrews wants Victoria to become the cage fighting state," he said.
"But it's contrary to what we're trying to tackle, which is violence in our streets and violence in our homes."
Former police commissioner Ken Lay and anti-violence campaigner Rosie Batty spoke out against the decision late last year.
Minister for Sport John Eren is expected to announce when the sport will be legalised in the near future.
