UFC Tabs Laura Sanko As First Female Commentator

The UFC's making history and it has nothing to do with what's happening inside the Octagon. Earlier this week, MMA's biggest promotion announced the hiring of Laura Sanko to handle commentary duties. Sanko is the first female analyst to sit behind the mic since president Dana White and his partners purchased the company 20 years ago. Sanko's pipes made her debut Tuesday on Dana White’s Contender Series alongside UFC regulars Paul Felder and Dan Hellie.

Sanko's no stranger to MMA. She's a former fighter herself, previously squaring off in Invicta FC and other promotions before deciding to swap her gloves for a microphone.

Having witnessed Sanko's media chops first hand (she's been a regular interviewer across the MMA circuit), UFC president Dana White had little doubt she'd excel in her new role:

“There was never even a question in my mind (that she would succeed), which is why I put her in there. One hundred percent, she is the Ronda Rousey of commentators. She knows her sh*t and she’s smart and has everything you want to see. I didn’t want to take her off the interviews because she’s fantastic at that, and that’s not easy to do, but I felt she was ready for this. We all met Friday and all of us felt the same way, that it was time.”

Aside from her seat just outside of the Octagon, Sanko also handled Tuesday's post-fight interviews. "She’s earned it, she deserves it, she belongs there, and she’s as educated and as good at talking about fights as anybody else in the game. So I think tonight was the beginning of a great career for her," said White.

White observed what MMA fans have known for years: Sanko and a microphone are a tough combination to beat.