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Laura Sanko recently announced that she achieved a major milestone in her mixed martial arts journey. Sanko is widely recognized for her work as a UFC broadcaster, though it's less commonly known that she has been a lifelong practitioner of MMA, particularly Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and has even competed professionally.
'Fancy' took to Instagram to reveal that she had earned her black belt in BJJ after nearly two decades of unwavering dedication to the art. The 42-year-old UFC commentator shared a series of photos documenting her journey and expressed heartfelt gratitude to her coaches and training partners for their support along the way:
"Feels amazing to join the black belt club… a 19 year journey that is just beginning. So many people have played a role in getting me here. I won’t attempt to name them all, but to all the coaches who poured their knowledge into me and every training partner who swapped blood and sweat with me over the years…THANK YOU."
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Check out Laura Sanko's post below:
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Sanko’s post received an outpouring of congratulatory messages from both the MMA community and fans, all celebrating the achievement she had reached.
Top-ranked women's bantamweight contender Kayla Harrison wrote:
"A black belt is a white belt who never quit."
Fast-rising UFC middleweight Caio Borralho commented:
"Congratssss."
One fan commented:
"Congrats @laura_sanko ! Don’t let @islam_makhachev ask you 'Who gave you blackbelt?' Lol."
Check out some more reactions below:
'Fancy' competed professionally just once, securing a second-round submission win over Cassie Robb at Invicta FC 4 in January 2013.
When Dana White labeled Laura Sanko "the Ronda Rousey" of UFC commentary
Laura Sanko made history as the first female color commentator to step into the UFC broadcast booth in the modern era. Although she had already established herself as a presenter and analyst, she officially began her commentary duties on 'Dana White's Contender Series' in 2021.
In September 2023, 'Fancy' made her UFC pay-per-view debut at UFC 293, where her contributions in the booth impressed Dana White. At a press conference held later that month, the UFC CEO publicly commended Sanko and highlighted his admiration for her work behind the mic:
"She knew everything about every kid here and she watched every single fight that you could watch on all the kids that were on the card. She's a true professional. She knows she's like the Ronda Rousey, you know, of commentating. She knows she's first; she knows she's carrying the banner for women to break into this role."
Check out Dana White's comments below:
