When Laura Sanko revealed Kazakhstan's unusual attempts to set her up with UFC star Shavkat Rakhmonov

Laura Sanko once had to address MMA fans about rumors that she had feelings for surging welterweight prospect Shavkat Rakhmonov.

Earlier this year, Rakhmonov faced Geoff Neal at UFC 285. The pair went to war in an instant classic which eventually saw the Kazakh fighter win via a rear-naked choke in the third round. The victory moved 'Nomad' to 17-0 (5-0 in the UFC) and certified his status as a serious contender at 170lbs.

Before Rakhmonov's fight against Neal, however, Laura Sanko had got MMA fans speculating after she appeared to be gushing over the 28-year-old during UFC 285's weigh-in show.

On the broadcast, Sanko admitted that Shavkat Rakhmonov gave her 'chills' and that she hadn't yet had the pleasure of meeting him:

"Shavkat Rakhmonov, that man, he gives me chills. I've never interviewed him, I've never spoken to him, but I feel like I would get nervous..."

Catch Sanko's comments here (59:00):

Fans were then left pondering over Sanko's feelings for the next month, but she soon put to bed the rumors at UFC 287's weigh-in show. There, she stated that she in fact, did not have a 'crush' on 'Nomad' and revealed she had gained a staggering 20,000 followers from Kazakhstan who thought she did:

"Can we please address this... I don't have a crush on the man. I like his fighting style. An entire country thinks that I [have a crush on Shavkat Rakhmonov]. And I need to correct the record. I'm still a fan, I just don't have a crush [on him]. The entire country of Kazakhstan is very excited about it, 'cause I got like, 20,000 new followers after [the UFC 285 weigh-in show]."

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When Laura Sanko revealed the words of advice Joe Rogan gave her

Shortly before making her historic debut on UFC commentary earlier this year, Laura Sanko revealed that Joe Rogan had previously spoken with her about her dream of commentating.

Speaking on The Sessions podcast with Renee Paquette, Sanko explained that she had bumped into Rogan backstage at an event, and he told her to keep on pushing to make history, even if she's told no:

"I had a really nice conversation with Joe last summer...It meant a lot. I didn't realize he knew what I was trying to do, to be the first female color commentator...He was incredibly gracious. He said, 'Listen, there's gonna be a lot of people who tell you who can't do it. I didn't have any fights, look at me. You're killing it. I hope we get to call fights together someday.'"

Catch Laura Sanko's comments here (42:40):