"That's six more fights than Greg Jackson or Eric Nicksick has" - Laura Sanko details the 'Catch 22' of being a woman in the MMA world
![Laura Sanko (left), Karyn Bryant (middle), Anthony Smith (right) [Image courtesy of @laura_sanko on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/05/b936a-16524457686750-1920.jpg?w=500)
UFC & ESPN analyst Laura Sanko has explained to fans what it's like to be a woman in the world of MMA. Speaking to Renee Paquette, Sanko admitted how much she loves her job and how empowered she feels to be a woman in MMA.
The analyst stressed that she is a fan of the sport and hopes that that comes across in the work she does on our screens. Sanko is hoping to become the first female color commentator in the UFC.
Laura Sanko touched on the pressures of being a woman broadcasting MMA. She detailed how she has sometimes felt that her appearance is based on how people perceive her MMA knowledge.
Sanko said:
"It's such a weird catch 22. On the one hand, there's pressure to look a certain way, and on the other hand, if you look that certain way, there's no possible way you know what you're talking about."
Sanko further explained that people often don't realize she has fighting experience. The former fighter turned analyst sometimes feels the pressure that their is the assumption that she has no background in MMA. She said:
"It's very very strange. I love to remind the fans who are like, 'Oh, she had six ametuer fights and one pro fight, what does she know'. Well that's six more fights than Greg Jackson had and that is six more fights than Eric Nicksick had. Are you going to question those coaches on what they know about MMA? The fans forget that there are actually a host of experts within the MMA world that haven't fought once."
Laura Sanko is hoping to be the UFC's first female color commentator on the card later this year. Whether it's pay-per-view or a Fight Night, Sanko is driven and confident she will achieve her dream.
Listen to Lauran Sanko on Renee Paquette's podcast here:
Laura Sanko details how she went from fighting to being an analyst for UFC and ESPN
UFC fans don't have to look far to see or hear from some of their favorite fighters as some have turned to UFC commentary. Daniel Cormier, Michael Bisping and Paul Felder are prime examples.
Despite not having the largest resume of fights, in the same podcast, Paquette asked Laura Sanko how she transitioned from fighting into commentary. She replied:
"It just kinda happened. I was in camp for my next fight and I ended up getting pregnant. I had to tell Invicta I couldn't do the fight and obviously I'd be out a while. I got a call from Shannon Knapp, who owned Invicta at the time."
Sanko added:
"She said 'Hey what do you think about doing this interview, we dont really have someone who does that on the team'...I said 'Yeah I can do that but Ive never held a microphone before, I've never held an interview with someone before or looked at a camera before but sure I can try it'. So yeah, that was the beginning and then they kinda moved me to doing the post-fight interviews live after that."