“Before I was an mma analyst or competitor, I was a fan just like most of you reading this. Almost 20 years later, I’m here and excited to be a small part of connecting our incredible fanbase to the fighting art of these amazing athletes,” an elated Laura Sanko said after her historic maiden UFC PPV commentary gig was announced ahead of UFC 293 in September 2023. More than a year and a half later, she is proving the choice correct, and the latest proof of the same is the fans’ reaction to her work at UFC Mexico.
With another international event, Jon Anik and Daniel Cormier reprised their roles as commentators at UFC Mexico. Given that the event took place outside the States, Laura Sanko was appointed as Joe Rogan‘s replacement, marking her return to the commentary desk for yet another Fight Night. It seems like the fans felt like she was a welcome addition to the commentary team and the right replacement for Rogan.
In 2023, Laura Sanko made history by becoming the first female color commentator in UFC history, while also reprising her role as an analyst. CEO Dana White was so impressed with her UFC 293 work that he made sure to heap some heavy praise on the former MMA star. “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. 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, and she’s doing everything she can to make sure that she always is the best that she can possibly be,” he said at the post-fight presser.
UFC Mexico was a massive event, and it’s understandable why Dana White would want to have his best guys on the commentary desk even though it’s a Fight Night event. But it seems like the UFC CEO may have put Sanko on that list because her recent work was well-received by the MMA community.
Having formerly fought under the Invicta FC banner, Laura Sanko is a passionate MMA fan, and her enthusiasm for the sport is there to see for fans during her commentary work. She proved her mettle while working in Dana White’s Contender Series and Road to UFC, leading the UFC head honcho to promote her to the big-time events.
Laura Sanko has been incredible on commentary tonight.
— Mike Heck (@MikeHeck_JR) March 30, 2025
Well, Joe Rogan would be proud of this addition because he’s been very particular about having people who hold deep interest and knowledge about MMA. The 57-year-old even voiced with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith back when he was a part of the broadcast team. Well, he doesn’t need to worry about Laura Sanko making the same mistakes because fans have shown nothing but love for her. Here’s what they had to say.
Laura Sanko is “always” good at commentating, fans claim
A lot of fans shared the same sentiment when one of them claimed, “Laura Sanko has always been one of my fav commentators,” on X. They have taken a liking to her, but there was one eagle-eyed fan who sounded as if he believed Sanko isn’t always on point, but also claimed that the 42-year-old has been doing better work than Jon Anik, who’s been doing it for years. “Usually is, she’s been better than even Anik recently.”
February 3, 2023, Las Vegas, NV, LAS VEGAS, NV, United States: LAS VEGAS, NV – February 3: Laura Sanko meets with the press to discuss her new role at the UFC at UFC Apex for UFC Fight Night – Lewis Vs Spivac on February 3, 2023 in Las Vegas, NV, United States. Las Vegas, NV United States – ZUMAp175 20230203_zsa_p175_105 Copyright: xLouisxGrassex
Given the inclusion of Laura Sanko, fans believe that people are starting to appreciate and understand mixed martial arts more. Gone are the days when people simply called it ‘human cockfighting’ or just a mere spectacle instead of sports. “It’s taken two decades, but very slowly broadcast talent & knowledge of the sport is becoming more appreciated than celebrity status or retired fight record when selecting one’s desired booth teams,” a fan commented on X.
With that said, there were other fans who claimed that Laura Sanko “always” delivers on the mic while sharing the commentary desk with others. However, some fans claimed that the state of the UFC’s commentary team is in dire straits. “I think ufc commentary has never been worse.” But in an unexpected statement from a fan, he claimed that neither Joe Rogan, Jon Anik, nor Daniel Cormier could match up to Sanko’s commentary chops. “Not a surprise, she’s been the best since she started,” the fan added. Meanwhile, a user on X claimed, “I too think she is attractive,” pointing out his admiration for Sanko’s looks.
Well, the overwhelmingly positive responses from the fans might just lead to Dana White making Laura Sankoa a permanent fixture on the commentary team. What do you think? Would you like to see more of her on the desk? Let us know in the comments down below.
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