“She’s Like the Ronda Rousey, You Know, of Commentating…”: After Joe Rogan, Dana White Heaps Praise on “True Professional” Laura Sanko After Her PPV Commentary Debut at UFC 293

Despite not being the betting favorite, Sean Strickland managed to capture the middleweight gold at UFC 293. But he wasn’t the only underdog who proved their mettle in Sydney. Unlike Strickland, this person’s skill wasn’t on display inside the octagon. Instead, most people got to hear her from the commentary box. For those who haven’t guessed it yet, that person is none other than Laura Sanko.

Making her UFC commentary debut back in January, Sanko became the second female commentator in the history of the promotion, the first since Kathy Long’s appearance in the role at UFC 1 in 1993. Her Pay-Per-View debut came last weekend at UFC 293, and Sanko just nailed it. The MMA analyst was also joined by veterans like Jon Anik and Daniel Cormier. But despite this, she left a lasting impression not just on fans but on President Dana White himself.

Dana White Praises Laura Sanko’s UFC Performance

During the press conference of the latest event of Dana White’s Contender Series, Dana White expressed his opinion on Laura Sanko’s commentary at UFC 293. Describing her as a beast and a pro, White applauded her performance. He also talked about the hard work she put into preparing for this fight, applauding her as an example of determination. Comparing her to UFC star Ronda Rousey, White also spoke of her role as the flagbearer for women in the field of MMA commentary.

Furthermore, the UFC president also claimed that she might be a staple in the UFC’s commentary team in the future. In White’s own words: “She knew everything about every kid here and she watched every single fight that you could watch on all the kids that were on the card. And she’s just, you know, she’s a true professional. She knows, she’s like the Ronda Rousey, you know, of commentating. She knows she’s first. She knows she’s carrying the banner for women to break into this role.”

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A former MMA fighter herself, Sanko joined the UFC back in 2016 as a reporter. Before that, she has also worked as an analyst for Invicta FC and Legacy Fighting Alliance. In 2021, she became the first female commentator to work on a broadcast in the Zuffa or Endeavor era of the UFC when she provided color commentary for Dana White’s Contender Series season 5. Since then, she has been a staple for the promotion, where according to Dana White, she dominated a seasoned commentator like Daniel Cormier during her debut.

Laura Sanko credits victory over Alex Pereira as a factor behind Israel Adesanya’s loss at UFC 293

Going into the main event of 293, Israel Adesanya was a massive -650 favorite. Being the first title defense of his reign as the undisputed middleweight king of the UFC, the stakes were high for Adesanya. According to experts, ‘Izzy’s highly technical and flashy striking could easily dominate Sean Strickland’s barebones basic striking. But despite this, the Kiwi found himself on the losing end of one of the biggest upsets in the history of UFC. Now days after the fateful event, Laura Sanko has expressed her opinion on factors that could have led to this loss.

According to the former fighter, Adesanya’s recent victory over Alex Pereira might be a factor behind his upset at the event. An arch-rival to Adesanya, Pereira was 3-0 against ‘The last Stylebender’ in combat sports before their UFC 287. But Adesanya had his retribution after knocking out ‘Patan’ in the second round of the fight. According to Sanko, this win might have made Adesanya overconfident, underestimating ‘Tarzan,’ and thus, ultimately leading to his loss at UFC 287.

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