What Did Laura Sanko Really Say About Shavkat Rakhmonov? What Relationship Do the Two Share?

Shavkat Rakhmonov is a star to watch in the UFC. And for some time, just for a little while, fans were convinced that UFC analyst and commentator Laura Sanko had eyes for ‘The Nomad’. This only happened after she heaped him with praise after his fight with Geoff Neal at UFC 285. With ‘Nomad’ securing his 18th straight MMA win via his 18th straight finish at UFC 296, let us take a look at what Sanko had to say about the Kazakh star back when fans started ‘shipping’ the pair.

On the UFC 279 weigh-in show, Sanko went on record to note how the fighters’ performance gave her ‘chills’, and fans couldn’t help but think something was brewing. When Rakhmonov himself was asked for the praise, he acknowledged it with some positivity. So do the two have a relationship outside of the professional? Here’s a breakdown of all that transpired since.

Does Laura Sanko love ‘The Nomad’?

“I’ve never interviewed him. I’ve never spoken to him. I feel like I would get nervous,” Laura Sanko admitted during the show. Once she said that rumors started flying. She later revealed that she quickly gained a lot of following from Kazakhstan, Rakhmonov’s home country, following her claims.

“Can we please address this? I don’t have a crush on the man. I like his fighting style,” she was 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.”

She clearly mentioned that she was only infatuated with his fighting since he was 16-0 with a perfect split of eight knockouts and eight submissions.

This is true. Sanko is married to entrepreneur Nathan Sanko, whom she dated for six years before marrying him in 2012. A romance of the ages, the two have been together for a while and have a son together.

So all the rumors were quickly swatted away. In conclusion, there is no relation between the two that isn’t professional. The two have rarely been seen together on screen and even that is restricted to interviews.

Post UFC 285, Rakhmonov was asked about these rumors and his response had the whole room laughing. The now 18-0 fighter said, “Yes, of course. I saw that video. What can I say? As a man, you always like when a woman adores you. So…” 

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This past weekend, Rakhmonov impressed the world (and probably Sanko too) with his performance against Stephen Thompson.

Rakhmonov chokes out ‘Wonderboy’ in style

Shavkat Rakhmonov took on Stephen Thompson on the main card of UFC 296. In a welterweight bout that had potential title implications, Rakhmonov dominated the former two-time title challenger. In the dying seconds of the second round, the Kazakh forced ‘Wonderboy’ to tap after securing a rear naked choke.

The fight could have happened earlier if ‘Wonderboy’ showed more interest in Rakhmonov’s career. However, the star admitted that he had no clue who ‘The Nomad’ was earlier last year. Further, Rakhmonov made headlines after he stayed back in the US and trained for UFC 296, missing his sister’s wedding in the process.

Add to it his dominant win, fans are impressed with the Sambo specialist, much like Laura Sanko. What did you think of Shavkat’s performance? Who do you think he fights next? Let us know in the comments.

Also Read: “He Does Resemble Shavkat a Bit”: Fans Know UFC Heartthrob Laura Sanko’s “Type” as She Posts “Opposite of a Thirst Trap” on Social Media