The UFC recently made history by appointing Laura Sanko as the first female color commentator in Zuffa history. The 38-year-old made her first UFC analyst appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series, and will now be a regular part of the commentary team.
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A former fighter, Sanko began her journey in the MMA world, but later quit and started her job as an in-cage and sideline reporter. Interestingly, Sanko made her reporting debut at Invicta FC 5, interviewing Marloes Coenen, and hasn’t looked back ever since. Over the years, Laura Sanko bagged the role of a commentator at Invicta as well.
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Furthermore, ever since becoming a part of the UFC media team, handling pre and post-fight interviews and ‘The Weigh-In Show’ with Daniel Cormier, Sanko has tried and tested her craft with some of the best analysts in the sport. Therefore, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Dana White decided it was finally time for her to become a commentator for the UFC.
Congratulations @Laura_Sanko for being the FIRST female color commentator for the Zuffa era!#DWCS live on #ESPNPlus! pic.twitter.com/7OyALR4mTm
— UFC (@ufc) September 1, 2021
Ever since the announcement, fans and various members of the MMA community took to social media to congratulate Sanko for the historic achievement. Even the official account of ‘Barbie’ put out a tweet in support of Laura becoming a commentator.
Ok this just made my day!!! The Barbie brand has been so good about showing girls they can grow up to be anything!! Thank you 🙏🏻 https://t.co/0SAvmq842c
— Laura Sanko (@laura_sanko) September 3, 2021
Most notable was an affirmation from ‘Big’ John McCarthy himself. A bonafide legend of the sport, McCarthy is arguably the greatest MMA referee and a major part of the team that set down the rules for MMA today. The 58-year-old put out a Tweet congratulating Sanko, making the following statement.
Thank you sir!!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 https://t.co/zfFBUHcx3G
— Laura Sanko (@laura_sanko) September 3, 2021
A nod from John McCarthy will undoubtedly be a great boost for Sanko’s confidence as she aims to excel at her new role in the world’s premier MMA promotion.
Will we see more female commentators after Laura Sanko?
Laura Sanko, becoming the first female color commentator for the UFC, is certainly going to open the doors for many more women to join the commentary booth.
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Just as fans enjoy former male fighters giving us their insight while sitting cage side, there is no doubt that fans would enjoy former female fighters giving their perspective on some of the most exciting fights in the UFC.
As more women choose to take on the sport of MMA, it won’t be long before we witness several rising female commentators becoming a part of the UFC shows across the globe.
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What do you think? Will we see more female color commentators in the UFC? Let us know in the comments.
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