In 2023, Laura Sanko made history by becoming the first female color commentator on a UFC pay-per-view broadcast, and her colleague Jon Anik has high praise for her and believes she will continue to shine in the future.
The UFC’s 2023 calendar year has been filled with memorable moments, chaos, and historical firsts — one of which was Laura Sanko making her pay-per-view debut at September’s UFC 293 event, where she joined Daniel Cormier and lead play-by-play voice Jon Anik to call the card in Sydney. Reflecting on past events, Anik couldn’t be happier Sanko got the opportunity to become the first female color commentator on a pay-per-view of the modern era, and expects Sanko to shine even more in the future. Anik has had an extremely busy year with multiple events and a host of international travel, and he’ll cap off 2023 with UFC 296 in December, headlined by Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington for the welterweight championship.
Sanko’s performance is praised, given Anik’s perception that there wasn’t a lot of grappling at UFC 293, and he believes she will shine when speaking about jiu-jitsu and grappling. He speaks highly of her comedic timing, lack of ego, and mutual support for each other. Looking back on the September pay-per-view offering, Anik recalls the broadcast fondly, and hopes Sanko can take pride in what she accomplished that night in Australia. He hopes she can look back upon her debut on a pay-per-view in Sydney with her family for years to come.
Anik sees a bright future for Sanko and believes the best is yet to come for her. He praises her abilities and expresses his happiness that she got the opportunity to showcase her talent.