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Laura Sanko’s historical achievement as a commentator for the UFC has been rightfully celebrated across the MMA world, but Sanko says her road to the position was anything but easy.
The former fighter became the first female color commentator in the modern history of the UFC when she appeared on the broadcast team for UFC Vegas 68. Sanko had previously been a staple on commentary for Contender Series events, and she appeared to be right at home slotting in to provide analysis for a UFC Fight Night card.
Almost all of the UFC’s current color commentators are former fighters, and while Sanko has fighting experience she never stepped into the promotion’s famous Octagon herself. The former atomweight recently appeared on Sean O’Malley’s TimboSugarShow podcast to discuss her historical achievement, which Sanko says is something she’s been working towards for a long time.
Sanko previously competed as both an amateur and pro fighter. (Dave Mandel)
“This is just something I’ve been campaigning for,” Sanko said. “For like five years out loud, longer in my head. I was like ‘This is something I know I could do.’ But when I first had the thought in my head it felt impossible if I’m being honest with you, ‘cause I didn’t fight in the UFC. Some people don’t even know that I fought. Not that I had some long career, but eight fights between amateur and pro.”
“I Was Really Ready When It Happened”
Sanko actually has previous experience in broadcasting to go along with her fighting background, but she says even that combination wasn’t enough to carve out an easy path to the UFC’s commentary table.
“The biggest thing that was difficult is in broadcasting in general there are really two defined lanes. You’ve got your hosts, anchors, and play-by-play people who are real broadcasters. Most of them went to school for broadcasting. They’re so good at the television delivery and there’s so many little tricks – that’s what they’re good at. On the other side, you’ve got analysts and color commentators, who are the former athletes or experts about the ‘why’ of things that are being done.
“And so it’s really hard to take me, this blonde chick who was a reporter and you know, ‘Sean O’Malley had an amazing breakfast this morning, feels great.’ And then go to like X’s and O’s and have people take me seriously. So that was the biggest battle is just making that leap both internally and externally. But in a way I’m glad they made me take a while, because it’s good that I was really ready when it happened.”
Sanko’s work with the UFC began by providing commentary for Dana White’s Contender Series. (Zuffa LLC)
Sanko’s promotional debut on color commentary was one of the bright spots from a UFC Vegas 68 card that wasn’t exactly loaded with significant names. The event was originally supposed to take place in South Korea to cater to the Asian fans that wanted to watch the Road to UFC finals, but when Chan Sung Jung pulled out of the main event the card was moved to Las Vegas.
The event still took place in the middle of the night for U.S viewers even after the location switch, and despite lacking a lot of name value the event still had a few notable performances. The card’s heavyweight main event between Serghei Spivac and Derrick Lewis carried the most significant stakes as far as divisional action, and “The Polar Bear” announced himself as a serious contender when he submitted Lewis just over three minutes into the fight.
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
Laura Sanko’s historical achievement as a commentator for the UFC has been rightfully celebrated across the MMA world, but Sanko says her road to the position was anything but easy.
The former fighter became the first female color commentator in the modern history of the UFC when she appeared on the broadcast team for UFC Vegas 68. Sanko had previously been a staple on commentary for Contender Series events, and she appeared to be right at home slotting in to provide analysis for a UFC Fight Night card.
Almost all of the UFC’s current color commentators are former fighters, and while Sanko has fighting experience she never stepped into the promotion’s famous Octagon herself. The former atomweight recently appeared on Sean O’Malley’s TimboSugarShow podcast to discuss her historical achievement, which Sanko says is something she’s been working towards for a long time.
Sanko previously competed as both an amateur and pro fighter. (Dave Mandel)
“This is just something I’ve been campaigning for,” Sanko said. “For like five years out loud, longer in my head. I was like ‘This is something I know I could do.’ But when I first had the thought in my head it felt impossible if I’m being honest with you, ‘cause I didn’t fight in the UFC. Some people don’t even know that I fought. Not that I had some long career, but eight fights between amateur and pro.”
[/quote]
“I Was Really Ready When It Happened”
Sanko actually has previous experience in broadcasting to go along with her fighting background, but she says even that combination wasn’t enough to carve out an easy path to the UFC’s commentary table.
“The biggest thing that was difficult is in broadcasting in general there are really two defined lanes. You’ve got your hosts, anchors, and play-by-play people who are real broadcasters. Most of them went to school for broadcasting. They’re so good at the television delivery and there’s so many little tricks – that’s what they’re good at. On the other side, you’ve got analysts and color commentators, who are the former athletes or experts about the ‘why’ of things that are being done.
“And so it’s really hard to take me, this blonde chick who was a reporter and you know, ‘Sean O’Malley had an amazing breakfast this morning, feels great.’ And then go to like X’s and O’s and have people take me seriously. So that was the biggest battle is just making that leap both internally and externally. But in a way I’m glad they made me take a while, because it’s good that I was really ready when it happened.”
Sanko’s work with the UFC began by providing commentary for Dana White’s Contender Series. (Zuffa LLC)
Sanko’s promotional debut on color commentary was one of the bright spots from a UFC Vegas 68 card that wasn’t exactly loaded with significant names. The event was originally supposed to take place in South Korea to cater to the Asian fans that wanted to watch the Road to UFC finals, but when Chan Sung Jung pulled out of the main event the card was moved to Las Vegas.
The event still took place in the middle of the night for U.S viewers even after the location switch, and despite lacking a lot of name value the event still had a few notable performances. The card’s heavyweight main event between Serghei Spivac and Derrick Lewis carried the most significant stakes as far as divisional action, and “The Polar Bear” announced himself as a serious contender when he submitted Lewis just over three minutes into the fight.
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
Click here to view the article.
The former fighter became the first female color commentator in the modern history of the UFC when she appeared on the broadcast team for UFC Vegas 68. Sanko had previously been a staple on commentary for Contender Series events, and she appeared to be right at home slotting in to provide analysis for a UFC Fight Night card.
Almost all of the UFC’s current color commentators are former fighters, and while Sanko has fighting experience she never stepped into the promotion’s famous Octagon herself. The former atomweight recently appeared on Sean O’Malley’s TimboSugarShow podcast to discuss her historical achievement, which Sanko says is something she’s been working towards for a long time.
Sanko previously competed as both an amateur and pro fighter. (Dave Mandel)
“This is just something I’ve been campaigning for,” Sanko said. “For like five years out loud, longer in my head. I was like ‘This is something I know I could do.’ But when I first had the thought in my head it felt impossible if I’m being honest with you, ‘cause I didn’t fight in the UFC. Some people don’t even know that I fought. Not that I had some long career, but eight fights between amateur and pro.”
“I Was Really Ready When It Happened”
Sanko actually has previous experience in broadcasting to go along with her fighting background, but she says even that combination wasn’t enough to carve out an easy path to the UFC’s commentary table.
“The biggest thing that was difficult is in broadcasting in general there are really two defined lanes. You’ve got your hosts, anchors, and play-by-play people who are real broadcasters. Most of them went to school for broadcasting. They’re so good at the television delivery and there’s so many little tricks – that’s what they’re good at. On the other side, you’ve got analysts and color commentators, who are the former athletes or experts about the ‘why’ of things that are being done.
“And so it’s really hard to take me, this blonde chick who was a reporter and you know, ‘Sean O’Malley had an amazing breakfast this morning, feels great.’ And then go to like X’s and O’s and have people take me seriously. So that was the biggest battle is just making that leap both internally and externally. But in a way I’m glad they made me take a while, because it’s good that I was really ready when it happened.”
Sanko’s work with the UFC began by providing commentary for Dana White’s Contender Series. (Zuffa LLC)
Sanko’s promotional debut on color commentary was one of the bright spots from a UFC Vegas 68 card that wasn’t exactly loaded with significant names. The event was originally supposed to take place in South Korea to cater to the Asian fans that wanted to watch the Road to UFC finals, but when Chan Sung Jung pulled out of the main event the card was moved to Las Vegas.
The event still took place in the middle of the night for U.S viewers even after the location switch, and despite lacking a lot of name value the event still had a few notable performances. The card’s heavyweight main event between Serghei Spivac and Derrick Lewis carried the most significant stakes as far as divisional action, and “The Polar Bear” announced himself as a serious contender when he submitted Lewis just over three minutes into the fight.
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
Laura Sanko’s historical achievement as a commentator for the UFC has been rightfully celebrated across the MMA world, but Sanko says her road to the position was anything but easy.
The former fighter became the first female color commentator in the modern history of the UFC when she appeared on the broadcast team for UFC Vegas 68. Sanko had previously been a staple on commentary for Contender Series events, and she appeared to be right at home slotting in to provide analysis for a UFC Fight Night card.
Almost all of the UFC’s current color commentators are former fighters, and while Sanko has fighting experience she never stepped into the promotion’s famous Octagon herself. The former atomweight recently appeared on Sean O’Malley’s TimboSugarShow podcast to discuss her historical achievement, which Sanko says is something she’s been working towards for a long time.
“This is just something I’ve been campaigning for,” Sanko said. “For like five years out loud, longer in my head. I was like ‘This is something I know I could do.’ But when I first had the thought in my head it felt impossible if I’m being honest with you, ‘cause I didn’t fight in the UFC. Some people don’t even know that I fought. Not that I had some long career, but eight fights between amateur and pro.”
[/quote]
“I Was Really Ready When It Happened”
Sanko actually has previous experience in broadcasting to go along with her fighting background, but she says even that combination wasn’t enough to carve out an easy path to the UFC’s commentary table.
“The biggest thing that was difficult is in broadcasting in general there are really two defined lanes. You’ve got your hosts, anchors, and play-by-play people who are real broadcasters. Most of them went to school for broadcasting. They’re so good at the television delivery and there’s so many little tricks – that’s what they’re good at. On the other side, you’ve got analysts and color commentators, who are the former athletes or experts about the ‘why’ of things that are being done.
“And so it’s really hard to take me, this blonde chick who was a reporter and you know, ‘Sean O’Malley had an amazing breakfast this morning, feels great.’ And then go to like X’s and O’s and have people take me seriously. So that was the biggest battle is just making that leap both internally and externally. But in a way I’m glad they made me take a while, because it’s good that I was really ready when it happened.”
Sanko’s promotional debut on color commentary was one of the bright spots from a UFC Vegas 68 card that wasn’t exactly loaded with significant names. The event was originally supposed to take place in South Korea to cater to the Asian fans that wanted to watch the Road to UFC finals, but when Chan Sung Jung pulled out of the main event the card was moved to Las Vegas.
The event still took place in the middle of the night for U.S viewers even after the location switch, and despite lacking a lot of name value the event still had a few notable performances. The card’s heavyweight main event between Serghei Spivac and Derrick Lewis carried the most significant stakes as far as divisional action, and “The Polar Bear” announced himself as a serious contender when he submitted Lewis just over three minutes into the fight.
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
Click here to view the article.
