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Laura Sanko impresses Dana White at the commentary table on Saturday night; ‘This was her destiny’

Laura Sanko has come a long way since her days as a roving reporter for the UFC. On Saturday night, Sanko made history by becoming the first female to commentate for a major UFC event in the Zuffa era. Emanating from The APEX in Las Vegas, Sanko joined John Gooden and former middleweight champion Michael […]

Laura Sanko has come a long way since her days as a roving reporter for the UFC.

On Saturday night, Sanko made history by becoming the first female to commentate for a major UFC event in the Zuffa era. Emanating from The APEX in Las Vegas, Sanko joined John Gooden and former middleweight champion Michael Bisping to call the action, which included the Road to the UFC tournament finals. In the main event of the evening, Serghei Spivak scored a first-round submission over perennial contender Derrick Lewis.

Laura Sanko’s performance was largely praised as she held her own alongside her more experienced counterparts. Following the event, UFC president Dana White shared his thoughts on her performance while speaking to Megan Olivi.

“This was her destiny and she’s been a savage since the day she walked in here, pushing for this hard,” White said. “Tonight was her big night. She delivered. I had tons of people texting me talking about what a great job she did and I’m happy for her.”

Dana White Confirms We Will Be Seeing More of Laura Sanko at the Commentary Table

Though Saturday’s card was the highest-profile event Laura Sanko has called for the Las Vegas-based promotion, she is far from a stranger to the commentary table. After receiving a cold call to commentate for Invicta FC in 2014, Sanko joined the UFC broadcast team two years later, operating as a backstage reporter and interviewer. She received the opportunity to call fights for Dana White‘s Contender Series in 2021. After receiving critical acclaim, it was just a matter of time before she made the leap from Tuesday nights to Saturday.

“Being elevated to this new UFC Fight Night role is exciting for many reasons,” Sanko said in an interview with AA. “Like most people in business, I set short-term and long-term goals. And being able to serve as the color commentator for a UFC card felt so distant when I started. But with each step in my career, I realized it was obtainable.

“So there is something very surreal about achieving a goal, and a reset that comes with adjusting your mindset from this being a goal to now being a reality. I can point to the hard work and know passion and skillset pays off. And that can help me as I create new goals for myself, both in short and long term.”

Laura Sanko was the first woman to sit in the booth since famed kickboxer Kathy Long did so at UFC 1 on November 12, 1993.

“Yeah, of course,” White said when asked if we would continue to see Sanko in the booth at UFC events.

UFC Commentator Questions If Valentina Shevchenko’s Age Will Play A Factor At Noche UFC 306

Laura Sanko recently pondered whether Valentina Shevchenko’s age might emerge as a crucial variable in her upcoming title fight against Alexa Grasso at Noche UFC 306. Shevchenko is set to challenge reigning UFC flyweight champion Grasso in a highly anticipated trilogy bout, serving as the co-main event of this Saturday’s pay-per-view spectacle at the Sphere […]

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Laura Sanko recently pondered whether Valentina Shevchenko’s age might emerge as a crucial variable in her upcoming title fight against Alexa Grasso at Noche UFC 306.

Shevchenko is set to challenge reigning UFC flyweight champion Grasso in a highly anticipated trilogy bout, serving as the co-main event of this Saturday’s pay-per-view spectacle at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Bullet” kicked off her dominant reign as the UFC’s 125-pound champion with a decisive unanimous decision win over Hall of Famer Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 231 in December 2018, setting the stage for an unstoppable title run. Shevchenko went on to defend her title an impressive seven times, cementing her legacy. However, her historic run hit a roadblock at UFC 285 in March 2023 when she was stunned by Grasso, succumbing to a shocking fourth-round submission.

The two faced off once again in the main event of the inaugural Noche UFC last September. The result, still a hot topic of debate, ended in a polarizing split draw, with Grasso retaining her title. Despite the stalemate, Shevchenko appeared overwhelmed by the Mexican champion in parts, who got the better of most of the striking exchanges.

Even before her loss to Grasso, Shevchenko, who turned 36 this March, showed signs of vulnerability during her title defense against Taila Santos at UFC 275 in June 2022. However, the Kyrgyz-born Peruvian narrowly avoided an upset, escaping with a razor-thin split-decision victory.

All of this has sparked Sanko to question whether “Bullet’s” age might prove to be a deciding factor in the trilogy bout against Grasso…

Sanko Wonders If Shevchenko’s Best Days Are Behind Her

During a recent episode of One On One | MMA with Din Thomas, Sanko dove into a discussion about the upcoming Grasso vs. Shevchenko showdown. The UFC’s first female commentator posed an intriguing question to Thomas, asking whether the former flyweight queen could still maintain her razor-sharp edge at 36 or if time has begun to dull her once-dominant prowess.

“Can you make that adjustment at 36?” Sanko asked. “I can say that as a mature woman of nearly 42. 36 is, you know, it’s not old, but it’s the beginning of what we call old in MMA. It’s the beginning of that if we’re being honest. So, I guess my question to you is: Can she make those adjustments at this stage in her career?”

Thomas responded by acknowledging that while he’s not ruling out Shevchenko’s chances against Grasso, he believes 36 is the age when fighters often begin to struggle with the psychological demands of the sport, which could impact their performance.

“The hard part is, physically, I think you could make them, but at 36, what I’m talking about is more psychological. At 36, you’re just in a different place psychologically, and you’re thinking about vacation and bills and what you’re going to do after the fight. Now, that may not be what we admit to, but that’s just what happens. We don’t like to admit that, but you just don’t want to slap a person in the face anymore after 36. It just… I don’t know if she can make those adjustments, but I’m not gonna count her out.”

Prior to her defeat against Grasso, Shevchenko hadn’t lost to anyone in the UFC aside from Amanda Nunes. However, history has shown that many fighters over the age of 35 tend to exhibit signs of decline in their performances. This makes it all the more interesting to see how Shevchenko will rise to the challenge against Grasso, who is not only four years younger but brimming with momentum.

Read More: TUF 32 Fighter Hints At ‘Favoritism’ From Valentina Shevchenko Ahead Of UFC Vegas 97 Scrap

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Laura Sanko books color commentary debut on UFC Vegas 68 card: ‘I consider it a true privilege’

UFC analyst and roving reporter, Laura Sanko is set to become the first female in modern Octagon history to feature as a color commentator in the three-person commentary booth this weekend at UFC Vegas 68 at the UFC Apex facility – booking her debut in the position. As per an official press release from the […]

As per an official press release from the UFC, Laura Sanko, a former professional mixed martial artist, will feature in the commentary booth for UFC Vegas 68 this weekend in Nevada – becoming the first female to call fights in the organization in their modern history, and the first since Kathy Long donned the microphone at UFC 1 back in 1993.

Laura Sanko describes her debut in the commentary booth as a “privilege”

“Taking the next step to join the UFC commentary team has been a goal of mine since I began my broadcast career,” Laura Sanko said in a press release. “It is an honor to walk in the footprint of Kathy Long, 30 years after her appearance on UFC 1.”

“I consider it a true privilege to be part of the team that is a voice to our incredible fans, communicating the fighting arts of each man and woman who steps inside the UFC Octagon.”

UFC president, Dana White also addressed Sanko’s historic appearance in the commentary booth, highlighting her as an ideal candidate.

“I can’t think of anyone better to be the first female color commentator for the modern UFC ear than Laura,” “She had worked incredibly hard to prove herself and get to this position and I couldn’t be prouder to have her calling the action.”

UFC Vegas 68 takes place this weekend, with a heavyweight division fight between Derrick Lewis and Serghei Spivac set to take main event honors.

Lewis, a former interim and undisputed heavyweight title challenger, will look to snap a run of two consecutive knockout losses to both Tai Tuivasa, and Serghei Pavlovich.

As for Spivac, the incoming Moldovan contender has enjoyed two straight wins and finishes over Greg Hardy, and Augusto Sakai, most recently.

Laura Sanko Will Make UFC Color Commentary Debut At UFC Vegas 68

UFC analyst Laura Sanko will etch herself in the UFC historybooks at UFC Vegas 68 as the promotion’s second-ever female color commentator. Sanko has become a mainstay of UFC broadcasts as an analyst, interviewer, and weigh-in show host. She began…

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Laura Sanko: Paddy Pimblett’s Post-Fight Antics Did Him A Disservice

UFC commentator Laura Sanko takes a look at the decision win by Paddy Pimblett at UFC 282 and his immediate reaction to the scorecards. The UFC 282 event that ended the year in terms of UFC PPV cards was filled with controversy. One bout that stood out…

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Laura Sanko Identifies Reason For Jon Jones’ LHW Decline

Laura Sanko takes a guess at why Jon Jones may have been declining at light heavyweight. Jon Jones is one of the best fighters to have ever competed in the UFC. A multiple-time champion at 205 pounds, Jones is now looking to improve his legacy by movin…

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