Laura Sanko’s admiration for undefeated finisher Shavkat Rakhmonov has been one of the more entertaining stories to come out of the UFC in recent years.
It all started during the UFC 279 weigh-in show when Sanko exclaimed that the ‘Nomad’ gave her chills. More than her words, it was the delivery of said declaration that got everyone’s attention.
Shavkat Rakhmonov is
for this
He gives Laura Sanko chills and makes her nervous lol pic.twitter.com/jH2FfdqK5y
— ABHI
for this 
(@stargazer109)
Things really started to heat up a few months later ahead of UFC 285 when Sanko appeared on the weigh-in show sporting a Kazakh Hat similar to the one Rakhomov wears to the Octagon. As Sanko curiously stroked the tail of the headwear and sang Rakhmonov’s praises, fans online went crazy, and an entire country instantly followed Sanko on Instagram.
Asked about Sanko’s comments during the UFC 285 media day, Rakhmonov acknowledged that he had seen the clip and found it quite humorous.
Shavkat Rakhmonov reacts to a viral video of Laura Sanko praising him
Full #UFC285 scrum
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) March 1, 2023
“Yes, of course. I saw that video,” Rakhmonov said through a translator when asked about the viral clip. “What can I say? As a man, you always like when a woman adores you. So…”
Sanko eventually did attempt to quell the rumors of her manufactured courtship with the welterweight star.
“Can we please address this? I don’t have a crush on the man. I like his fighting style,” Sanko said as she felt forced to clear the air. “An entire country thinks I do and I need to correct the record. Still a fan, I just don’t have a crush. The entire country of Kazakhstan is very excited about it because I got like 20,000 new followers after that day. No, I have a husband.”
Of course, that did little to kill the narrative that was already sweeping across social media.
Laura Sanko Admits She still gets chills from shavkat rakhmonov — and nothing else
Recently, Gabriel Gonzalez — the same MMA reporter who asked ‘Nomad’ about Sanko’s comments in March 2023 — caught up with the UFC color commentator and offered up an apology for his role in perpetuating the rumors.
“I almost forgot that you were responsible for that,” Sanko told Gonzalez. “You ask one question and the whole world lights on fire. I don’t know that you owe me an apology. You don’t owe me an apology. But it was certainly, um, it was really blown out of proportion. But that’s okay — I got quite a bit of Instagram following off of it.
“And I will say this: the Kazakh fans are absolutely amazing, and I’ve kind of fallen in love with this idea of Kazakhstan and its craziness for anything Shavkat-related.”
Though things may have gotten a little blown out of proportion — as Sanko stated — the former fighter admits to still getting chills when Rakhmonov puts his skills on display inside the Octagon, and she’s certainly not the only one.
“The internet — I’m not the only one that’s getting chills, guys. I’m not the only one that’s getting chills.”
Fortunately, Sanko and Rakhmonov’s home country won’t have to wait long to see ‘Nomad’ back in action. On Saturday, December 7, the 18-0 sensation returns to action for a potential welterweight title eliminator against fast-rising Irish star Ian Machado Garry at UFC 310 in Las Vegas.
