Laura Sanko has obtained virtually common reward as an excellent addition to UFC’s commentary staff since making her broadcast debut, however nobody in that job is above criticism.
Hardly ever does a UFC card finish with out broadcasters having followers or fighters take goal at them for one thing mentioned throughout telecasts that always final for seven to eight hours. This previous weekend at UFC Vegas 89, it was former WEC champion Jamie Varner who took situation with Sanko’s commentary in a pair of since-deleted tweets. Varner declared that Sanko “sucks so unhealthy at commentating” and “speaks about issues she is aware of nothing about.”
Varner was additionally vital, saying, “depart the commentary to the folks that have really fought,” which earned a response from Sanko reminding him that they really shared a card collectively when she was nonetheless actively competing in her personal MMA profession.
@jamievarner you and I really fought on the identical card in 2011 for Titan FC. We warmed up subsequent to one another within the basement of the Memorial Corridor constructing in KCK. My finest pal braided your hair since you couldn’t discover anybody to do it. I bear in mind pondering how cool it was at…
— Laura Sanko (@laura_sanko) March 24, 2024
Alan Jouban, who serves as a coloration commentator for LFA and works as an analyst for the UFC, understands that it’s inevitable you’ll finally face adverse remarks when doing that specific job. That being mentioned, Jouban disagrees with Varner’s evaluation, particularly about Sanko’s information of the game and her supposed lack of expertise as a fighter.
“I believe Varner, he’s specializing in the flawed issues an excessive amount of,” Jouban defined on the most recent episode of The Fighter vs. The Author. “What are you aware a couple of blast double? What number of instances have you ever shot a blast double? She is aware of! She grapples. Perhaps that’s not her go-to transfer, however she’s educated sufficient to talk on the very fact and I believe he acquired slightly off monitor. All people has sure folks that they like extra or don’t like extra, however to come back out publicly and communicate so harshly on it, it’s a foul transfer by Jamie.
“She’s very educated and she or he speaks so effectively, and she or he does have the background to again it up. The issue is what Jamie Varner is focusing an excessive amount of on is that, look, possibly she wasn’t a blast double kind of fighter, however she nonetheless fought. That doesn’t imply you possibly can’t know what it’s like or [have] an informed opinion on it having been across the sport for thus lengthy. I wasn’t a blast double man both. But when I see a blast double, I understand how to talk on it, and that’s what Laura’s doing.”
Whether or not it’s Varner or another person, Jouban accepts that no person escapes harsh feedback when calling fights. Followers have their favorites, and what appeases one individual could irritate one other.
Jouban is aware of from private expertise that it’s not possible to please your entire crowd, however not like his struggle profession, he does take these feedback to coronary heart slightly bit extra.
That’s seemingly the identical for Sanko as she continues to study and grown as a coloration commentator — and the one lady at present working in that capability for the UFC.
“You’re going to get criticized each time,” Jouban mentioned. “You’re not going to win over each fan. A variety of followers have their favorites, and after they don’t have their favourite [and] certainly one of their least favorites are commentating, they’re going to criticize, and also you see that fairly a bit on this sport. One of the best factor to do is to simply keep away from it, nevertheless it’s not possible to not look and see, particularly after we’re speaking about your profession, one thing like this. It was a lot simpler as a fighter. If anyone criticized me about preventing, ‘oh, this dude sucks, he’s going to get worn out, this man’s going to get knocked out,’ that’s as a result of they don’t like me or no matter.
“However while you go on the market and also you research and also you practice and also you name a struggle, and your job is to construct these fighters, to make this occasion not about you however concerning the fighter, and make this thrilling, and likewise give your educated opinion on sure areas to assist form of information the viewers via these fights with you, you’re telling a narrative and also you need them to come back alongside on the story with you. However the entire time, the main target is the star of the present, is the fighters. That’s all that we’re attempting to do, however you don’t all the time make everyone comfortable in these items.”
Past her work as a coloration commentator, Jouban additionally praised Sanko for the work she’s finished in different sides since becoming a member of the UFC broadcast staff. Sanko initially began as a backstage interviewer and now wears many hats, together with her more moderen gig as a coloration commentator.
Jouban believes that makes her much more invaluable to the promotion.
“Laura’s a unicorn for the UFC,” Jouban mentioned. “That’s why they love her. That’s why [executive producer] Zach Candito places her on so many roles. As a result of how many people that do that can do coloration commentary, can do the desk job publish and pre-fight present, can do sideline reporting, can do interviews backstage, and likewise has an excellent persona? [She] can go do the weigh-in present with [Daniel Cormier] and maintain her personal towards former champions ingesting beer in a really guy-oriented surroundings and maintain her personal. She will do all these jobs and cling with everyone.
“She’s like a utility knife of this sort of job. They’ll put her wherever and she or he’ll be capable to do an excellent job. That’s why she’s all the time continually on TV, as a result of she will be able to do all of it. She actually can.”
So far as Varner goes, Jouban received’t inform anybody how they need to really feel. He simply believes the UFC and WEC veteran went about it the flawed approach with how he took goal at Sanko this previous weekend.
Jouban can’t promise he would have reacted in comparable style, however he appreciates that Sanko was so gracious along with her response.
“Clearly, Laura wasn’t certainly one of Jamie Varner’s favourite commentators,” Jouban mentioned. “He discovered an occasion that he simply acquired his telephone in his hand and mentioned, ‘I’m going to go off on her.’ It was the flawed transfer. It was a foul transfer by him.
“She took a really elegant route. That was robust to do. Credit score to her. I’ll see if I can take the excessive highway once I get that criticism someday.”
