To date, the Octagon side, broadcasting table hasn’t featured any women calling fights. But, UFC reporter Laura Sanko is hoping to change all that.
Sanko has no doubt she has the knowledge to call fights
If you’re a big MMA fan, then you likely know who Sanko is. She worked in Invicta FC broadcasts and in more recently, she’s been an on-air reporter during Dana White’s Contender Series shows and other UFC broadcasts.
Sanko is also a former fighter, who went 1-0 in pro-bouts and 4-1 in the amateur ranks.
Well, recently Sanko spoke with MMA Junkie, and while discussing her broadcasting and media career, she said this.
“My dream would be to eventually be part of that booth,” Sanko said. “One of the things that’s kind of allowed me to succeed in this job despite no broadcasting training whatsoever, is I do really understand the fight game.
Over the years, I feel like behind the scenes, in production meeting and even just hanging out, I’ve been able to kind of demonstrate to all of the guys, whether it’s Paul (Felder) or Dominick (Cruz) or (Michael) Bisping, that I really do what the hell I’m talking about.
My hope is that one day I can have a little bit, even more of a voice there. But any amount of time I can spend there talking to those guys is pretty awesome.”
Sanko’s aware of the hurdles
In more recent years, the UFC has largely tapped former UFC fighters for color commentating roles, aside from the likes of Joe Rogan and Jimmy Smith. But, Sanko is confident her knowledge of the game will fill that gap on her resume.
“I would love that,” Sanko said. “That is definitely a goal. I don’t think it’s one that’s necessarily going to happen anytime soon, but it’s one I’m working toward and I hope one day to make that come to fruition.
It’s tough, though. The hurdles that are in my way are not necessarily one people would assume, like, ‘Oh, they don’t want a woman.’ That’s not the case. I think they really like to have former UFC fighters there and they I think they really like to have higher profile UFC fighters there, so that’s one thing that doesn’t happen on my resume.
“I like to think that over my years with the UFC, with Contender Series I’ve shown my fight knowledge over the interviews I do. I can tell that over time people have started to realize I do really understand the game and can provide on the spot analysis of what’s happening in a fight.”
Yup. There’s no question Sanko is extremely knowledgeable about the fight game. Her YouTube series with Megan Anderson, in which they preview upcoming cards, is further evidence of that.
So, it will be interesting to see if Sanko does transition into a commentating role during live fights. Hopefully we see Sanko, or another woman fighter calling fights, sooner than later.