Skip to main content

Laura Sanko to make UFC color commentary debut at UFC Fight Night 218

Laura Sanko will make history at UFC Fight Night 218 as a part of the commentary team.

The promotion announced in a press release that Sanko will make her official UFC color commentary debut at UFC Fight Night 218, which takes place Feb. 4 at UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Sanko will become the first female color commentator in the modern UFC era to call an official UFC event.

“Taking the next step to join the UFC commentary team has been a goal of mine since I began my broadcast career,” Laura Sanko said in the release. “It is an honor to walk in the footprint of Kathy Long 30 years after her appearance on UFC 1. I consider it a true privilege to be part of the team that is a voice to our incredible fans, communicating the fighting art of each man and woman who steps inside the UFC Octagon.”

Since 2016, Sanko has been a part of UFC broadcasts, initially working as a backstage reporter before joining the commentary team on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2017.

“I can’t think of anyone better to be the first female color commentator for the modern UFC era than Laura,” UFC President Dana White said in the release. “She has worked incredibly hard to prove herself and get to this position and I couldn’t be prouder to have her calling the action.”

On DWCS broadcasts, Sanko did a little of everything, from commentating fights, interviewing winning fighters, to announcing contract winners alongside White. Now, she will realize the goal she set out to accomplish in 2022.

“Laura brings passion, enthusiasm and an undeniable work ethic to all of her roles with the UFC,” UFC Vice President & Coordinating Producer Zach Candito said in the release. “There is no doubt she’ll do the same in this elevated opportunity as the first-ever female color commentator at the UFC during the Zuffa era. We are thrilled to add her to our talented stable of commentators and her expert analysis promises to be a great addition to UFC broadcasts moving forward.”



from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/kA5lRVs
via IFTTT

Popular posts from this blog

Max Griffin offended by booking against Michael Morales: 'They're sending a guy that they think can beat me'

LAS VEGAS – Max Griffin is not exactly happy with his matchup against Michael Morales . The 37-year-old welterweight veteran is set to take on Michael Morales on the main card of Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 47 at the UFC Apex. This booking made Griffin (19-9 MMA, 7-7 UFC) feel like he’s been set up to be a stepping stone for Morales (14-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC), who’s unbeaten and just 24 years old – and that has Griffin fuming. “I have a thing for these new guys: I get offended,” Griffin told reporters at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 47 media day. “So it’s another guy, 14-0, fought Trevin Giles. That was a terrible fight from Trevin Giles. He beat him in the beginning but burned his arms out, getting sloppy, and got knocked out. … He (Morales) ain’t fought nobody. It’s not even about who y’all fought, but I am me. I am him. I’m not the guy you want to fight when you’re that raw, that new.” Although there’s something to be said about Morales’s promise and rise, Griffin is not getting caught in a ba...

Video: Oli Thompson lands devastating first-round knockout punch on Aleksei Oleinik in Russia

Aleksei Oleinik returned to action for the first time since his UFC exit, but things did not go in his favor. In the main event of REN TV Fight Club at Dynamo Volleyball Arena in Moscow, Russia, Oleinik (60-17-1 MMA) faced fellow UFC veteran Oli Thompson in a heavyweight bout. The result was a violent finish that left Oleinik staring up at the lights. Thompson (21-16 MMA) unleashed a crushing right hand that sent Oleinik crashing to the canvas with 35 seconds remaining in the opening round. Check out video of the finish below (via Twitter ): Oli Thompson destroys Alexey Oleynik with a massive right hand in the first round pic.twitter.com/AdWy25dQxR — caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) May 26, 2023 Thompson, 43, returned to the win column for the first time since 2020, snapping a four-fight losing skid. His last victory was also a first-round stoppage; a 23-second knockout of Szymon Bajor at Fight Exclusive Night 28 on June 13, 2020. Oleinik, 45, competed in his final UFC bout in Octo...

Sean Strickland: Israel Adesanya title fight '100 percent should be in the cards' with win over Abus Magomedov

Sean Strickland thinks a fight with Israel Adesanya is imminent if he can get past Abus Magomedov . Strickland (26-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) meets Magomedov (25-4-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) July 1 at a UFC Fight Night main event at the UFC Apex. Strickland is one of the few top-ranked contenders to never face middleweight champion Adesanya (23-2 MMA, 12-2 UFC), so he sees title implications with a win. “If this fight goes my way, it 100 percent should be in the cards,” Strickland told My MMA News . “I f*cking had a close decision with f*cking – what the f*ck was that guy’s name? Jared Cannonier, you knocked some brain cells out of me. Solid guy. Thought I won on the scorecards, but it is what it is. I truly believe I should be the one fighting Izzy, but I lost fair and square. I’ll pay my tenants. I’ll get some Ws, but yeah, that one needs to happen.” Strickland being matched up with Magomedov came as a surprise, considering Magomedov has only one octagon win. Strickland admits it’s not the fight he...