LAS VEGAS – In April 2020, Laura Sanko made known her goal to join the UFC commentary team in an interview with MMA Junkie. She knew it wasn’t going to happen “anytime soon,” but it remained a goal nonetheless.
A little more than three years later, Sanko finds herself in the rotation among the core group of the promotion’s cageside commentators, with a number of events already under her belt. She’s the only female to call UFC fights in the promotion’s modern era, and she’s humbly determined to make the most of her dreams being realized.
“It is everything I thought it would be,” Sanko told MMA Junkie. “I love it so, so, so much. … I’m still learning on the job. I’ve got a lot of growing to do, but I feel really good about the moments where I’m able to maybe see something or explain something in a way it’s not always done or isn’t being done in the moment. A lot of learning to deal with, with the personalities.
“Whether it’s (Michael) Bisping or – I haven’t called a Fight Night yet with (Daniel Cormier) – but we called (Dana White’s) Contender Series fights together, and with Paul (Felder). It’s almost like hitting pads with someone or dancing with someone. At first you’ve got to figure out the other person’s rhythm and how they move and stuff. I’m still learning, but I love it so much.”
Sanko emphasized the importance of chemistry in the booth. The UFC’s norm is to have three people on commentary, with either Jon Anik, Brendan Fitzgerald or John Gooden commanding play-by-play. The two color commentator positions are filled with some combination of Sanko, Bisping, Cormier, Felder or Dominick Cruz. Joe Rogan works a select number of pay-per-view events per year that take place in the U.S., as well.
Each member of the team brings their own perspective and demeanor to the table, and Sanko said finding comfort with each pairing is something that can only come with repetition.
“I’m not quite 100 percent relaxed in there yet,” Sanko said. “I think it just kind of depends. It’s like dancing. Whenever I call fights with Paul Felder, it’s like he and I are seamless. It’s just super easy. Bisping is such a huge personality I have a harder time sometimes not stepping on his toes, or vice versa. But he also ups my game in a way that nobody else does.”
So far, Sanko has worked with the majority of the team in some capacity – with two notable omissions. She’s yet to broadcast live fights alongside Anik or Rogan. But as she becomes more deeply engrained in this role, a situation could arise in which that eventually changes.
“I really look forward to the day where I can sit alongside (Anik),” Sanko said. “When I was trying to manifest that moment, it was definitely Anik in the vision, so hopefully they make that happen soon. Of course (Rogan, too). The thing is, I don’t know if they would ever put us together. Maybe they would. But I don’t know if they would, and Joe doesn’t do the international (events). If I had to guess, that would be where they put me first, but who knows.”
