Laura Marcusse-Sanko (born December 7, 1982) is an American

color commentator A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The person may also be referred to as a summariser (outside North America) ...

and sports analyst for the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...

(UFC). Sanko is also a former

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

who competed in

Invicta Fighting Championships Invicta Fighting Championships, also known as Invicta FC, is an American professional mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion dedicated to women's mixed martial arts that was founded in 2012 by Janet Martin and Shannon Knapp. The promotion is current ...

, and a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Background

Sanko adopted the nickname "Fancy" during her brief fighting career after an acquaintance told her she was too fancy to actually fight, rather than just train in mixed martial arts. In 2021, Sanko became the first female commentator to work on a broadcast in the Zuffa or Endeavor era of the UFC when she provided color commentary for the Dana White's Contender Series season 5. In January 2023, Sanko became the first female

to appear on a UFC broadcast since

Kathy Long Kathy Long (born April 21, 1964) is an American kickboxer, mixed martial artist, and actress. Kathy Long Biography">USA Dojo >> Kathy Long BiographyURL accessed on October 7, 2010from the original on August 16, 2016 at the Wayback Machine. She ha ...

UFC 1 ''The Ultimate Fighting Championship'' (later renamed ''UFC 1: The Beginning'') was the first mixed martial arts event by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), held at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado, United States, on Novembe ...

in 1993 when she joined the broadcast booth at '' UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Spivac''. This made her the first female color commentator in the modern UFC era to call an event from the booth. On September 10, 2023, Sanko made her UFC pay-per-view commentary debut at

UFC 293 ''UFC 293: Adesanya vs. Strickland'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on September 10, 2023, at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. Background The event marked the promotion's s ...

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align="center" , 1–0 , Cassie Robb , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Invicta FC 4: Esparza vs. Hyatt , , align="center" , 2 , align="center" , 1:07 ,

Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City (commonly known as KCK) is the third-most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As ...

, United States , , -

References

External links

*
Laura Sanko ("Fancy") , MMA Fighter Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanko, Laura 1982 births Living people American female mixed martial artists Atomweight mixed martial artists Mass media people from Chicago Mixed martial arts broadcasters American color commentators William Jewell College alumni