UFC's return to The APEX brought some epic finishes, but Laura Sanko may have scored the biggest knockout of the night.
Sanko returned to the commentary table Saturday night for the UFC Vegas 89 road card, which featured the return of former two-time strawweight world champion “Thug” Rose Namajunas. As always, Sanko was welcomed onto the broadcast and shared his expertise throughout the 13-fight card. However, not everyone appreciated her efforts.
Former WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner recently crawled out of whatever predicament he was in and went on the offensive, slamming Sanko and her “annoying” commentary in two scathing posts online.
Varner expressed disdain for Laura Sanko's commentary. X, writes: “Leave the commentary to the people who have actually fought. Female fighters in the UFC should do the job, she's just annoying, it's obvious she's trying too hard and she knows what she's doing. You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Varner said. follow up post Miko is said to be a “hard worker who talks about things he knows nothing about.'' We're talking about blast doubles and how tiring it is in the first round of combat, but do you know anything about them? Stay in your lane. ”
Laura Sanko reminds Jamie Varner of when they fought on the same card
Apparently, Varner forgot that Laura Sanko was actually a former fighter, amassing a 5-1 overall record while competing for promotions like Titan FC and Invicta. In response to Varner's criticism, Sanko even recalled the details of a time when the two former fighters competed together on the same card.
“I don't care if you don't like my commentary, but with all due respect, I've been attending these matches and training since 2006.” Written by Sanko. I'm a brown belt in Jiu-Jitsu and I can't compare my career to yours, but I've fought in real life. And if the UFC had a 105 division, I would have fought longer.
“You and I actually fought on the same card at Titan FC in 2011. We warmed up next to each other in the basement of the KCK Memorial building. Since you couldn't find anyone to do it, My best friend braided your hair and I remember thinking how cool it was to be on the card with you at the time. I had been following your career in WEC, so To be honest, I was a little star-struck.”
For those interested, the event in question was Titan FC 20 in September 2011. Sanko won her match against Kyla Potter with an armbar in less than a minute, while Varner lost her fight to current BKFC standout Dakota Cochran.
Sanko ended his mixed martial arts career in 2013, but his career in the sport was far from over. After earning her position as a traveling reporter for the UFC, she was given a chance in the commentary booth in 2021, joining Dana White's Contender Series broadcast team. Two years later, Sanko made history when she became the first woman to serve as a color commentator during the Zuffa era at UFC 293 in Australia.
Sanko's energetic and insightful commentary was a welcome addition to every broadcast she participated in, and she quickly became a favorite among fight fans.
