Issue 195

March 2022

It’s a common occurrence to see journalists and writers referring to fighters as “breakout stars” as they make a swift transition from talented prospect to world-class operators. But one of the UFC’s biggest breakout stars of recent years is a former fighter who never made it to the Octagon, but arrived in the UFC through a very different path.

Competing on the biggest stage of all was something that wasn’t even a viable career option when Laura Sanko stepped into MMA competition. But now, after saying yes to an uncomfortable opportunity and chancing her arm at something new, she has developed into one of the most talented, respected broadcasters on the UFC roster.

Sanko’s passion for martial arts arrived at an early age, as she explained to UFC Connected.

“The first time I fell in love with martial arts, I was five,” she said.

“My dad traveled a lot to Asia at the time. So he came back, I remember from one of his trips, with this, like, teeny, tiny little Gi, I would put it on and jump around and do crane kicks on my bed. Most other little girls might be having tea parties, but I was kicking people's asses in my mind. 

“I was the kid who was always looking to prove something. But I think a lot of it came from having an older brother. I always wanted to keep up with him. And we were always wrestling around and scrapping. 

“I found a karate school that wasn't too far from where I grew up in Kansas City. And I was like, ‘I want to be doing that.’ Just really enjoyed going to the gym, learning the moves and working my way up the rankings. I got my black belt, and then I graduated from high school, and I went to college and I have really kind of left martial arts behind. 

“After college, I kind of went through some stuff in my personal life. I was depressed at the time, to be honest. I knew I needed some sort of physical outlet where I could just go and not think about the other things that were going on in my life. Martial arts had done that for me in high school, and I thought okay, if it did it for me, then it can do it for me again, now. MMA became therapy for me, because you literally can't think about anything else when someone's trying to punch you or when you're doing jiu-jitsu and you're in the middle of a physical puzzle. It made me feel powerful.”

Taking the leap

Sanko never intended to embark on a career as a fighter, but the environment at the gym was such that it was expected that she would eventually step inside the cage. Despite some initial hesitation, Sanko gave it a go and found the feeling she’d been looking for ever since she was a kid.

“The feeling of subduing another human being with your bare hands is like a drug like no other,” she explained.

“That feeling of power, I think that little six-year-old me had always been wanting to experience just came flooding through me in that moment. 'I can't get enough of this! This is amazing!'

“I went 6-1 as an amateur, finished a lot of fights, did really, really well and then it was kind of off to the races – what I thought was going to be off to the races for a pro career.”

However, an unexpected surprise transformed Sanko’s priorities and forced her to stop her career just as it was starting to take off.

“Invicta was like the crown jewel of women's MMA. That was the top of the mountain. There were no women in the UFC at this point. I got that kind of big-show feeling. The lights felt much brighter,” she explained.

“I made a great first impression. Went out there and got the finish in the second round. I thought that it was going to be on to the next. Then… surprise! Pregnant!”

A new path

But, thanks to the promoter’s owner Shannon Knapp, Sanko wasn’t totally done with Invicta as a one-off opportunity turned into something much bigger.

“Shannon said, ‘Hey, Marloes Coenen is going to be in town. Would you be comfortable doing an interview with her during the broadcast?’

“I said, ‘Yeah, but I want you to know I’ve never talked to a camera before, I’ve never held a microphone before.’ She was like, ‘No, no. You’ll be fine!’

“My first foray into television was just a quick three or four-minute interview in the middle of a broadcast. Shannon called me again to make it a more permanent, ongoing role. Being so close to someone right after they have a huge life moment, to be able to help them communicate their story, I think I fell in love with that.”

Sanko established herself as part of the Invicta broadcast team, and she unwittingly went viral in May 2016 when she interviewed victorious bantamweight champion Tonya Evinger after her victory over Colleen Schneider at Invicta FC 17. An elated Evinger decided to plant a huge kiss on the lips of a stunned Sanko during their post-fight interview. It was a moment that drew a huge response from the crowd in Costa Mesa, California, and attracted thousands of video views online.

It may have been an unexpected and awkward moment for Sanko, but she took it in her stride, and she admits that might have helped take her career to the next level.

“I never expected to be kissed on national television, let alone by another woman!” she laughed.

“That Evinger kiss went viral. I think it was part of the reason why the UFC took notice. I think they appreciated how I handled it.”

Just three months later, Sanko was holding a UFC microphone as she worked her first event for the MMA leader, a Fight Night show in Salt Lake City, Utah headlined by featherweights Yair Rodriguez and Alex Caceres. It was the final event of the Fertitta brothers’ era of UFC ownership. But as the Las Vegas siblings closed their UFC chapter, Sanko’s was just getting started, and getting her chance with the biggest promotion in the sport only solidified her desire to pursue broadcasting as her new career.

“By this point, I knew I wanted to do MMA television,” she said.

“Anybody that knows me knows that, as soon as I know my path, that’s what I’m laser-focused on. Then, the following year, Sanko received the opportunity that would put the rocket boosters on her career – Dana White’s Contender Series.

“I got a call from the UFC, ‘We’re thinking of launching this new show.’ I knew when they approached me with the Contender Series that it was a really special opportunity.”

“The very first season, I was just there to do a little bit of sideline reporting, post-fight interviews, I interviewed Dana at the end, when he would pick the contract winners. Once I got set on the path of being involved with the UFC, I immediately had my eyes set on what's the most I can achieve? 

“My ultimate goal was commentary. I knew I could do it. I just started asking for more and more. ‘Hey, can I do this? Can I be on the desk? You know, anything that would allow me to have a little bit more of an analysis hat and less of a question-asking hat. It was just a matter of convincing a lot of different parties in the UFC. I knew if I proved myself in all of the areas surrounding this opportunity, the door would eventually open.”

Chasing goals

Now firmly established with the UFC, Sanko’s can-do attitude and Swiss Army Knife skillset have taken her to exactly where she wants to be. Her next goal is to become the first female color commentator in modern UFC history. After everything she’s already achieved, it’s surely a matter of when, rather than if.

But, while she’s busy furthering her career and achieving her goals, Sanko is also blazing a trail for the next generation to follow. It’s something she takes incredibly seriously, and she wants to inspire countless other young girls to chase their dreams by showing that, even if the odds are against them, it can be done.

“I get messages from fans saying, ‘Hey, my daughter saw you on television. She saw you calling fights and we'd never seen a female color commentator before,’ and it just opened up a conversation that I was able to have with her about her being able to do things in a male-dominated space,” she said. 

“I wanted to be a respected voice in the sport comes back to that sense of power since I was a little girl. Sitting in that seat and having that headset on scratches that itch. To have notched out this little piece of history does give me a lot of satisfaction. 

“I do want other women and other girls to see this and know that they can do it too.”