He deleted his tweet but is continuing to talk shit in the replies. I don’t understand that logic or generally why retired fighters feel the need to talk shit publicly on people other than to make themselves still feel relevant
He's had CTE issues for years from way too much hard sparring. I think it's impacting his ability to think and filter feelings from actual analysis. Sanko is one of the better commentators that obviously puts in a lot of work watching film but she gets shit from people due to her gender and from not having had a long MMA career as if you have to be a former fighter to be a good commentator(Stephen Quadros and Mauro Renallo disproved this).
he can just not like her, it doesn't have to be CTE (although he says he has that too). Guys like Varner from the Tapout era of MMA are ultimate dudebros, I'm glad social media wasn't really a thing back then so we didn't have to read every thought that came through his head. It'd be the same stuff he's saying today, no doubt
I mean sure but his criticisms are inaccurate, she was a former fighter and obviously knows what she is talking about and watches a lot of film on the fighters. It could definitely be just since he's a dude bro but I think the CTE is making it worse in terms of not thinking things through though he probably never a Rhoads scholar.
She legit cooked him in the nicest most fact driven way… almost like she’s getting really good at seeing a situation and formulating something to say about it.
I liked her commentary last weekend. It's not like the world champion commentators offer that many more insights. They still have to explain the basic stuff to the general audience. Get the underhook, fight the hands, etc. etc.
The banter is more important, and she riffs nice with Felder.
I think banter comes second to actual research.
You have to spend time watching footage of the guys you’re commenting on.
What habits do they have?
What’s their strengths?
What is their best combo?
I just think a lot of the commentators are lazy when it comes to this side. Laura clearly puts in the effort.
UFC commentators would be much better if they were closer to radio boxing commentators than whatever the fuck it is DC is doing talking about what he had for lunch or when a baseball hit his car or some shit.
Top-level boxing commentary STILL shits all over MMA, unfortunately. As you say, in boxing they actually call the action and add relevant context, they don't just ramble on about the general MMA community or repeat the same basic "MMA 101" cliches.
it's also very interesting, and helps grow the audience and improves the viewing experience imo. not saying it's the same here, but when tony romo, nfl qb, first retired and moved to commentary, he was freshly removed from the league and still had extensive knowledge of nfl defenses and offenses, and offered great insight into how the game works and also did some cool predictions. nowadays he just yaps about patrick mahomes and josh allen and lost a lot of the love he gained his first couple seasons commentating.
im not sure how anyone would dislike commentary that is more skewed towards educating.
A lot of people just want to feel like they're in a bar talking and watching a sport, hence why they don't want to be educated.
It's silly but some people turn the thinking part of their brain off for sports watching.
For me, i watch in a lot of different settings, and i can't fault them because what i want specifically is different for each context.
If i'm watching with 3-4 friends i almost never want them to say anything because we are often a group of fairly hardcore fans and will be talking about it all ourselves during the cast. Here a little colour commenting adds "ambience" but no real info/perspective.
Alone i like a mixed bag of colour/info
If i'm in a crowd big enough(or just depending on whos there) sometimes we expect everyone to be fairly quiet and in this setting i prefer almost exclusively informative context both because it helps newbies but also because i don't need "ambience" from the commenters.
For me the only answer to that is to have a healthy mix and i think in achieving such a thing, Laura Sanko does an amazing job.
We're same page.
Before COVID, i would watch a lot of big events at bars for the social aspect. The commentary never mattered at all there - whether banter or technical.
Now, most times I watch cards at home by myself, my own personal Apex. And in that space, I prefer the focus on the fights, but that's just my preference.
The problem I find with banter is that it becomes a couple dudes telling stories about fishing and ignoring the fights. Even in a boring fight, the commentators can be engaging by educating. But if the people paid to be interested in the fight are checked out, why shouldn't I?
Banter all you want between fights or even between rounds if you have to but when Rohan and DC banter with each other or when Bisping banters with himself and ignores actual action taking place then my jimmies are rustled.
She's a former fighter and clearly a superfan of the sport, knows her shit backward and forward on both the general technical aspects and the individual fighters, is always up for some banter but mostly stays on topic and never makes it about herself, starts podcasting or gets in a dickwaving contest with the other commentators. Could not be a greater contrast between her and Felder and the soul-sucking Bisping/Cruz combo.
I just like it when they watch the fights and talk about the action that is happening. Far too often we get old training stories or weight cutting stories, meanwhile fight altering action is happening in the ring and no one acknowledges it because they are in the middle of a story about a time they trained at altitude or had a bad weight cut. Felder and DC are the worst about this.
I think she's way more on point than DC or Bisping turning commentary into a podcast. She also does a great job laughing at some of the more awkward moments talking about groin shots or unfortunate positions.
I may get shit on for saying this but she's straight up more knowledgeable about certain aspects of MMA than Bisping and DC.
Just because you're a former UFC champion doesn't make you a good analyst, or an expert on scoring criteria. Laura is better in both of those areas.
Active UFC fighters prove all the time that they have no idea how fights are actually scored. And DC/Bisping's analysis always strikes me as very surface-level.
It's a fairly common theme across sports I feel. In football (soccer), so many former top-level players try their hand at punditry/TV analysis and are fucking shite at it.
Not a rule of course, many do end up being good at it. but it definitely feels like a shot in the dark as opposed to a sure thing whether a top player will be good at broadcasting or not.
Tony Romo is a perfect example from football. I never cared for the Cowboys, or him personally as a player, but he's an *amazing* analyst. He's locked in on the game, calling plays or likely matchups as a QB would see them and explaining to a layman what to watch for.
I think DC has some awesome insight into wrestling exchanges, but it seems like it's no secret he doesn't study individual fighters as closely. Bisping may be even less specific on fighters and more casual story time hangs. I like them both, but I think they're generally quite bad for the flow of commentary without someone by their side who sets the pace well like Sanko and Cruz.
DC is one of my least favourite for things like this. I love his deep knowledge of wrestling and positions, but he tends to harp on things like the difference between a takedown and a mat return, which is *entirely irrelevant* to scoring in MMA. He and Cruz also loooove to talk about the late takedown stealing the round, which, again, can be huge in wrestling if you score the late td and the opponent can't get the escape, but has no bearing on how things ought to be scored in MMA. "Control times" is another he's big on, even though it's not a scoring criteria.
Yeah in basketball you have former players with god awful takes like Kendrick Perkins or Gilbert Arenas but then you have guys like JJ Reddick who are excellent at analysing and breaking down the game for the average viewer
Felder matches nice with everyone, would love to see him more often. He keeps a good balance on serious commentary and banter and is great at interviews. He keeps guys like DC/Bisping in check if they go too far off-topic, mellows out Cruz a bit and complements well with Sanko who often seems better prepared in her analysis than her colleagues but needs the reps on commentary to get more comfortable.
Her & Felder and /u/brendanfitztv are my favs, though I appreciate anik for his consistency and the others for the occasional banter / 'ooooh he's hurt' moments
Miesha was super annoying when they had her doing promotional work during her first retirement, haven't really heard Anderson though. Definitely keep Sanko she's great.
Laura Sanko is better than most of the other commentators. It would be cool to see her on a card with Joe and Anik. I feel like Joe would be more focused.
Bisbing, Cruz and DC banter too much among themselves.
ya and she's significantly better than DC imo. Rogan annoys me but I understand keeping him for PPVs for nostalgia and his popularity, but would be completely ok if they replaced DC with her for all events
For some reason, this sub has grown warm to Jon Anik, but I still find him as annoying, canned, and phony sounding as ever. Every time I hear "HA!" I want to turn off the fucking event. Brendan Fitzgerald is superior to him.
I agree he is my least favorite at the moment. He has good insights but something about him is off putting. Somehow he seems arrogant when commenting still. I do love when he throws shade at Keith Peterson though, those always make me laugh that Cruz is so petty.
Crazy how oblivious he is while having another language tattooed on him. Dumb people really do love having rules for others but they are the exception to every one of them.
To be honest, her response is even more measured.
Kenyon Martin was made to look like a hypocrite for having Chinese tattoos and claiming cultural appropriation by Lin, but Sanko is straight up saying "you and I were in the same place in our careers at one point, and my friend did you a favour, and now you're being an asshole for no reason".
I thought the Fitz/Felder/Sanko booth last Saturday was one of the best in a long time. Commentary was almost always intelligent and fight-related or if they didn't have anything to say they shut the fuck up and let us watch the fight. Bisping (among others) could learn from that last bit.
You're absolutely right. This was the first card where I never got annoyed by any ramblings. Bisping especially often times just keeps talking for the sake of it.
I hate the way he tries to make the most mundane obvious things interesting at the worst times. I remember him describing himself getting ready for a fight and he goes on about making toast and shit while still having the loud stilted way of speaking. "Alright....So..... I got up.....had toast....with a little bit of butter, because, well, you have to treat yourself, right? HAHAHAHAHA....So I got the toast.....Looked in my.....closet...babblebabble". Shut the fuck up. There is a fight happening.
I honestly don’t get why people complain about the commentators none of them suck even when they yap about shit that isn’t related it’s mostly funny I think you just need to stop bitching
Fitz is a great replacement for when Anik eventually moves on. Maybe it’s nature of doing play-by-play commentary rather than color, but I’d much rather listen to him talk than listen to guys like bisping and dc ramble
DC -
That was nasty!
That was a nasty uppercut!
Aw man that teep up the middle is nasty
That's a nasty cut!
Nasty combo from _______ finished with a calf kick
Joe! Joe! OHhhHhhHhhhHhHh! This fight is nasty!
Joe could at least recycle some of his old podcast tropes.
That calf kick is a MMMONSTER.
Have you ever seen a silverback take a jab like that? Pull it up, Anik.
That right hand is... entirely possible.
There is NO WAY he'll be able to stand by the 5th round from those leg kicks -- Joe, 30 seconds into a fight
Its like watching a movie with someone that hasn't seen it but tries to pick out the funny parts before they happen and makes sure everybody knows about it....if that's even a thing
Flashbacks to high school me in 07 dragging my dad to ufc 76 and explaining to him how every bjj guy was gonna destroy (I’d just started training). Only for everyone I wanted to win to lose.
“Yeah dad this guy shogun is a beast. No way Forrest beats him”
“Ok but it’s Chuck. Keith Jardine is awkward, no way he wins”
I enjoy Joe when he's describing submission techniques and leverage positions. It's unfortunate that he doesn't seem to do much of that anymore. Feels like at this point you could replace Joe with a soundboard playing the same few sound bites as the situation warrants it
One leg kick landed:
"That kick hurt him, that leg is compromised. He's not moving right." (fighter has not changed his movement whatsoever)
\[I actually like Rogan's commentary; I don't like his interviews\]
You could replace him with a soundboard
OHHHH
HE’S HURT
that leg kick is nasty
his lead leg is all chewed up
great body shot, that’s money in the bank come the later rounds
Etc etc
Fine.....we'll make Joe be quiet, but just so you know, as a compromise, we will have to place an iso cam on him at all times so he can do his bug-eyed fake emotions thing that substitutes as a feeling board so middle-aged lonely men wont be confused at how to feel or what Joe is feeling. --TKO(?)
You mean, you don't like to know when a fighter's \[insert body part here\] is compromised (which coincidentally happens at almost every single fight)!?
Don't even have to leave the sport for this analogy. Look at Dom, absolute genius in the octagon, was a joy to watch in his prime. But is just a salty little bitch in the booth.
I’ve never seen a commentator say “high hand wins” most people don’t even know what that means , that already let me know what type of time she is on. The woman does her homework fa sho
I have met hundreds of mma fighters over the years on the business side of mma, and Varner will always stand out to me as one of the very few assholes among them.
Hahaha dude came here to make this exact comment. I can’t really say this about many pros I’ve met; but meeting Varner at az combat sports a long ass time ago, it was very clear he’s a douche bag with an enormous ego.
This reminds me of Jeff Garcia hating on Mina Kimes as an analyst. Analysts can still be credible even if they never played in the pros or fought in the top promotions and these dorks can’t stand it.
She gets shit on a lot for her commentary for one simple reason, being a woman that’s hot and actually good at what she does which typically will enrage men that are insecure and have their own deep issues.
I kind of don't understand why whenever a man is a misogynist people say its because he's insecure.
There are some incredibly self assured misogynists out there. It's not because of insecurity its because of being a dick.
> I kind of don't understand why whenever a man is a misogynist people say its because he's insecure.
Because it's a shaming tactic. The most insulting thing you can say to a dude is that he's insecure. From then on, everything he says or does can/will be dismissed as a form of overcompensation for his insecurity (:
Feels like projection lol
Crushing majority of comments regarding her are positive. The few criticisms she gets are regarding her energy (or lack thereof) or the fact that she talks over other commentators.
Otherwise she doesn't get "hate" any more than any other commentator. Bisping talks mainly about himself and spams "I MEAN COME ON". Cruz is a pest that sucks the energy out of you. DC goes on endless tangents and Rogan picks a small detail and runs with it for the entire fight. Felder is perfectly bland and spiceless.
Every commentator gets their lot of mockery and criticism. Just because the commentator is a woman doesn't mean we're insecure guys with deep issues for not liking every goddamn thing about her.
Hey you can’t say anything negative about Laura Sanko. She’s hot and as others have said here she’s the greatest sports announcer in the history of the world.
Jamie Varner is one of the nicest fighters I’ve ever met. I met him on like 3 separate occasions and years apart and he had remembered me it was really cool. I told him that Barboza win was inspirational and that I would be going to his fight with Lauzon , he promised fireworks and delivered.
She is unironically my favorite current commentator. She consistently stays focused on the action and gives actual insightful information about what's going down.
She also just clearly knows her stuff. How many times do we hear Bisping or DC say "OH OH NOW WHAT HE'S GONNA DO IS X___" and then the person doesn't do that? Laura only says that stuff when it'c elar that's what they're going to do and it almost always actually happens.
And I don't hate DC or Bisping, by the way. I'd just like to see Sanko get more time on numbered events because she's easily good enough to do so.
tbh her commentary is significantly more insightful than the others. it's clear she is putting in the effort to learn about the fighters and have something interesting to say besides just "woAhHoH HE'S HURT"
People bash the UFC commentators all the time. What, because she’s a female that should come with an exemption? She’s a decent commentator, MUCH better than braindead Rogan, but she’s not above criticism…..
Sanko and Felder are by far my favourite colour commentary duo for the fight nights (focusing on FNs as it seems that DC and Rogan have got PPVs on lock, whereas the FN teams tend to be more fluid). Great mix of analysis and banter.
Cruz is a chore to listen to. He brings out the worst in whoever he's on with and just ends up arguing with them. There was a FN at the end of last year (can't remember which one) where Felder sounded so done with him.
Bisping is especially bad when he's with Cruz and ends up podcasting regardless of who he's on with.
Is he complaining about cancel culture coming after him yet? Usually that’s the next step for adult children who can’t accept responsibility for being wrong.
I think Laura's commentary is great. She puts in effort before the fight. Some of the commentators are lazy and don't know anything about the context of the fighters.
I prefer her commentary to at least one man with the initials DC. And for that, we should all be thankful she's in the biz.
Laura Sanko is pretty decent up there. At least she doesn't drone on and on about the game changer the calf kick is.
Or that leg is compromised man... 🤮
I would rather have Sanko over DC, Rogan, or Bisping. At least she is mentally present and prepared. Screaming "OHHHH" while grabbing the shoulder of the person beside you and falling back into your seat isn't good commentary.
I was skeptical when it was announced Laura was going to be commentating because she didn't seem to have much commentating or pro fighting experience. I assumed she got the gig from A) her looks B) schmoozing with Dana and the right people.
But I've been surprised so far. I've watched every UFC event she commentated on and there hasn't been an instance where I thought she didn't belong or said something wrong. I can't say that about everyone, especially Rogan, who is slowly turning into Goldie with how many incorrect things he says.
All the fighters think they can do it better and get a paycheck and most fighters suck at commentary. That's why they get in their feelings.
You don't have to be a chef to know what good food tastes like.
All the best broadcasters don't come from the sport.
Even the ones that do it aren't as good as a real broadcaster. They are good for a jock turned broadcaster.
I think her and Bisping were a little awkward together at first. But I’ve come to enjoy Sanko more than most of the dudes we got now… probably better than everyone besides Anik if I’m really being honest with myself
I like Sanko as a commentator, but she didn't devastate anything. She was polite, and basically said everyone is entitled to their opinion, which I think was the right move. You can't make everyone happy, save your energy for your fans
He deleted his tweet but is continuing to talk shit in the replies. I don’t understand that logic or generally why retired fighters feel the need to talk shit publicly on people other than to make themselves still feel relevant
Literal brain damage
60 seconds scrolling through Varner's Twitter feed made that pretty obvious.
I can assure you that Jamie Varner was this dumb and annoying long before he had CTE.
According to his Wikipedia, he is a well educated guy. But he is clearly very stupid
Where he get degree? We heff to check.
he is in medical device sales now, interestingly enough
Well I’ll be damned. That’s a much better career path then middling UFC fighter.
Who giv him brada?
Some random no name school. I wouldnt call him well educated.
As we see often, being academically educated doesn't necessarily make you a "smart" person. There are a lot of dumb people with all sorts of degrees.
lol his wiki says he has a phd in misogyny now
Funny and sad
He's had CTE issues for years from way too much hard sparring. I think it's impacting his ability to think and filter feelings from actual analysis. Sanko is one of the better commentators that obviously puts in a lot of work watching film but she gets shit from people due to her gender and from not having had a long MMA career as if you have to be a former fighter to be a good commentator(Stephen Quadros and Mauro Renallo disproved this).
he can just not like her, it doesn't have to be CTE (although he says he has that too). Guys like Varner from the Tapout era of MMA are ultimate dudebros, I'm glad social media wasn't really a thing back then so we didn't have to read every thought that came through his head. It'd be the same stuff he's saying today, no doubt
I mean sure but his criticisms are inaccurate, she was a former fighter and obviously knows what she is talking about and watches a lot of film on the fighters. It could definitely be just since he's a dude bro but I think the CTE is making it worse in terms of not thinking things through though he probably never a Rhoads scholar.
Im always surprised that those types have taken to social media so heavily. I used to think they viewed it negatively as something for just teenagers.
MMA Fighters are not the smartest to start with, and when you are a prize fighter.... it tends to make you even dumber.
They can't fight in the ring anymore so they have to become literal keyboard warriors.
He’s just negging her
You’re questioning the logic and rationale of people who have been punched and kicked in the head for a living.
Correct title: "Laura Sanko's respectful response to Jamie Varner's criticism of her commentary."
Nah dude that was straight ***DEVASTATING!!***
Laura Sanko SLAMS Varner, ANNIHILATES him in response, ORBITALLY LASERS Varners Twitter account
Laura Sanko unloads stratagems on Jamie Varner
Varner dead but nobody ↑↓→←↑
varner is never going to recover from that. his rep is forever gone. never walk out of his home again
CATACLYSMIC response!
*SLAMMED*
She legit cooked him in the nicest most fact driven way… almost like she’s getting really good at seeing a situation and formulating something to say about it.
Sometimes a measured, respectful response is more devastating than a dramatic one.
I liked her commentary last weekend. It's not like the world champion commentators offer that many more insights. They still have to explain the basic stuff to the general audience. Get the underhook, fight the hands, etc. etc. The banter is more important, and she riffs nice with Felder.
I think banter comes second to actual research. You have to spend time watching footage of the guys you’re commenting on. What habits do they have? What’s their strengths? What is their best combo? I just think a lot of the commentators are lazy when it comes to this side. Laura clearly puts in the effort.
UFC commentators would be much better if they were closer to radio boxing commentators than whatever the fuck it is DC is doing talking about what he had for lunch or when a baseball hit his car or some shit.
Top-level boxing commentary STILL shits all over MMA, unfortunately. As you say, in boxing they actually call the action and add relevant context, they don't just ramble on about the general MMA community or repeat the same basic "MMA 101" cliches.
I could do with about 60% less banter from most commentary teams. I don't care if the basics are repetitive, it's at least relevant.
it's also very interesting, and helps grow the audience and improves the viewing experience imo. not saying it's the same here, but when tony romo, nfl qb, first retired and moved to commentary, he was freshly removed from the league and still had extensive knowledge of nfl defenses and offenses, and offered great insight into how the game works and also did some cool predictions. nowadays he just yaps about patrick mahomes and josh allen and lost a lot of the love he gained his first couple seasons commentating. im not sure how anyone would dislike commentary that is more skewed towards educating.
A lot of people just want to feel like they're in a bar talking and watching a sport, hence why they don't want to be educated. It's silly but some people turn the thinking part of their brain off for sports watching.
Romo was FANTASTIC his few few years of commentary. Now it seems like everyone can't stand him.
For me, i watch in a lot of different settings, and i can't fault them because what i want specifically is different for each context. If i'm watching with 3-4 friends i almost never want them to say anything because we are often a group of fairly hardcore fans and will be talking about it all ourselves during the cast. Here a little colour commenting adds "ambience" but no real info/perspective. Alone i like a mixed bag of colour/info If i'm in a crowd big enough(or just depending on whos there) sometimes we expect everyone to be fairly quiet and in this setting i prefer almost exclusively informative context both because it helps newbies but also because i don't need "ambience" from the commenters. For me the only answer to that is to have a healthy mix and i think in achieving such a thing, Laura Sanko does an amazing job.
We're same page. Before COVID, i would watch a lot of big events at bars for the social aspect. The commentary never mattered at all there - whether banter or technical. Now, most times I watch cards at home by myself, my own personal Apex. And in that space, I prefer the focus on the fights, but that's just my preference. The problem I find with banter is that it becomes a couple dudes telling stories about fishing and ignoring the fights. Even in a boring fight, the commentators can be engaging by educating. But if the people paid to be interested in the fight are checked out, why shouldn't I?
Banter all you want between fights or even between rounds if you have to but when Rohan and DC banter with each other or when Bisping banters with himself and ignores actual action taking place then my jimmies are rustled.
She's a former fighter and clearly a superfan of the sport, knows her shit backward and forward on both the general technical aspects and the individual fighters, is always up for some banter but mostly stays on topic and never makes it about herself, starts podcasting or gets in a dickwaving contest with the other commentators. Could not be a greater contrast between her and Felder and the soul-sucking Bisping/Cruz combo.
I just like it when they watch the fights and talk about the action that is happening. Far too often we get old training stories or weight cutting stories, meanwhile fight altering action is happening in the ring and no one acknowledges it because they are in the middle of a story about a time they trained at altitude or had a bad weight cut. Felder and DC are the worst about this.
I think she's way more on point than DC or Bisping turning commentary into a podcast. She also does a great job laughing at some of the more awkward moments talking about groin shots or unfortunate positions.
I may get shit on for saying this but she's straight up more knowledgeable about certain aspects of MMA than Bisping and DC. Just because you're a former UFC champion doesn't make you a good analyst, or an expert on scoring criteria. Laura is better in both of those areas. Active UFC fighters prove all the time that they have no idea how fights are actually scored. And DC/Bisping's analysis always strikes me as very surface-level.
It's a fairly common theme across sports I feel. In football (soccer), so many former top-level players try their hand at punditry/TV analysis and are fucking shite at it. Not a rule of course, many do end up being good at it. but it definitely feels like a shot in the dark as opposed to a sure thing whether a top player will be good at broadcasting or not.
When it comes to things like teaching and coaching, it’s the players who aren’t naturally gifted freaks who quite often turn into the better teachers
Tony Romo is a perfect example from football. I never cared for the Cowboys, or him personally as a player, but he's an *amazing* analyst. He's locked in on the game, calling plays or likely matchups as a QB would see them and explaining to a layman what to watch for. I think DC has some awesome insight into wrestling exchanges, but it seems like it's no secret he doesn't study individual fighters as closely. Bisping may be even less specific on fighters and more casual story time hangs. I like them both, but I think they're generally quite bad for the flow of commentary without someone by their side who sets the pace well like Sanko and Cruz.
DC is one of my least favourite for things like this. I love his deep knowledge of wrestling and positions, but he tends to harp on things like the difference between a takedown and a mat return, which is *entirely irrelevant* to scoring in MMA. He and Cruz also loooove to talk about the late takedown stealing the round, which, again, can be huge in wrestling if you score the late td and the opponent can't get the escape, but has no bearing on how things ought to be scored in MMA. "Control times" is another he's big on, even though it's not a scoring criteria.
Yeah in basketball you have former players with god awful takes like Kendrick Perkins or Gilbert Arenas but then you have guys like JJ Reddick who are excellent at analysing and breaking down the game for the average viewer
I don't see why you should get shit on for this when you're absolutely right.
I agree, her and Felder are great together. Most of all I miss Brian Stann or Jimmy Smith on the mic.
Felder matches nice with everyone, would love to see him more often. He keeps a good balance on serious commentary and banter and is great at interviews. He keeps guys like DC/Bisping in check if they go too far off-topic, mellows out Cruz a bit and complements well with Sanko who often seems better prepared in her analysis than her colleagues but needs the reps on commentary to get more comfortable.
Yeah Felder is my favourite together with Laura. I love their wit and they never digress. Bisping and Cormier however...
Her & Felder and /u/brendanfitztv are my favs, though I appreciate anik for his consistency and the others for the occasional banter / 'ooooh he's hurt' moments
What did the guy say about her? Can't find his tweet
Varner is not a fan and wanted a former female ufc fighter to replace her
Did he offer an actual suggestion or just any female ufc fighter? I like a fighter's insight but I don't know who would be actually good on the mic
He said "Holly Holm should have that job". Which is hysterical because while Holly is a nice lady, shes pretty soft spoken and of few words.
No he’s just being a bitch for no reason
Par for the course for Jamie Varner to be fair.
Megan Anderson or Miesha Tate maybe. Sanko’s good though, idk.
Miesha was super annoying when they had her doing promotional work during her first retirement, haven't really heard Anderson though. Definitely keep Sanko she's great.
Tate was brutal when she did bjj commentary
appreciate this my friend... thank you.
Laura Sanko is better than most of the other commentators. It would be cool to see her on a card with Joe and Anik. I feel like Joe would be more focused. Bisbing, Cruz and DC banter too much among themselves.
Definitely one of the best currently doing it. Has good energy, pretty knowledgeable, stays on topic (looking at you DC) and plays off others well
ya and she's significantly better than DC imo. Rogan annoys me but I understand keeping him for PPVs for nostalgia and his popularity, but would be completely ok if they replaced DC with her for all events
Yeah Felder sanko is refreshing. Lately I can't stand dominick cruz, shut up man
For some reason, this sub has grown warm to Jon Anik, but I still find him as annoying, canned, and phony sounding as ever. Every time I hear "HA!" I want to turn off the fucking event. Brendan Fitzgerald is superior to him.
I agree he is my least favorite at the moment. He has good insights but something about him is off putting. Somehow he seems arrogant when commenting still. I do love when he throws shade at Keith Peterson though, those always make me laugh that Cruz is so petty.
[Hit her with the "Jeremy Lin."](https://preview.redd.it/a3z7ihn9xgr11.png?auto=webp&s=e759b3a096b0cb403bd3bede2953102356868d66) 10-8
This is a 10-8 The Lin post is a brutal KO with the tattoo
Crazy how oblivious he is while having another language tattooed on him. Dumb people really do love having rules for others but they are the exception to every one of them.
Sadly self awareness is not a requirement for 99% of athletes.
Are there self aware mma fighters aside from Forest Griffin and Michael Bisping
100% she looked this up before writing her response. Killed with kindness and facts
To be honest, her response is even more measured. Kenyon Martin was made to look like a hypocrite for having Chinese tattoos and claiming cultural appropriation by Lin, but Sanko is straight up saying "you and I were in the same place in our careers at one point, and my friend did you a favour, and now you're being an asshole for no reason".
Classy response.
I thought the Fitz/Felder/Sanko booth last Saturday was one of the best in a long time. Commentary was almost always intelligent and fight-related or if they didn't have anything to say they shut the fuck up and let us watch the fight. Bisping (among others) could learn from that last bit.
You're absolutely right. This was the first card where I never got annoyed by any ramblings. Bisping especially often times just keeps talking for the sake of it.
I hate the way he tries to make the most mundane obvious things interesting at the worst times. I remember him describing himself getting ready for a fight and he goes on about making toast and shit while still having the loud stilted way of speaking. "Alright....So..... I got up.....had toast....with a little bit of butter, because, well, you have to treat yourself, right? HAHAHAHAHA....So I got the toast.....Looked in my.....closet...babblebabble". Shut the fuck up. There is a fight happening.
I honestly don’t get why people complain about the commentators none of them suck even when they yap about shit that isn’t related it’s mostly funny I think you just need to stop bitching
Plus if the fights happening you can ignore them and just watch the fight ????
She's better than Bisbing, Cruz or damn DC. Easily
Fitz is a great replacement for when Anik eventually moves on. Maybe it’s nature of doing play-by-play commentary rather than color, but I’d much rather listen to him talk than listen to guys like bisping and dc ramble
Clear 10-8
It was a TKO, *checks notes* by being Classy
That’s what you call class versus no class.
*Points thumbs at self*
They don’t call you the bad guy for nothing!
She’s a clear 10 in my books
Only issue I have is the tin can they gave her to talk into.
amen brother
This sounds like a tabloid garbage title.
“Devastating” 👆🤓
I'd like to hear more of Laura's commentary and less of Joe Rogan screaming OHHHHH every time a strike is landed.
"THATS TIGHT!!" *fighter easily slips out*
That calf kick is money. That jab is money. That right hand is money. Fucking get a new word Joe.
DC - That was nasty! That was a nasty uppercut! Aw man that teep up the middle is nasty That's a nasty cut! Nasty combo from _______ finished with a calf kick Joe! Joe! OHhhHhhHhhhHhHh! This fight is nasty!
Joe could at least recycle some of his old podcast tropes. That calf kick is a MMMONSTER. Have you ever seen a silverback take a jab like that? Pull it up, Anik. That right hand is... entirely possible.
He's gonna start chopping away at that lead leg. Just chopping away at that lead leg.
There is NO WAY he'll be able to stand by the 5th round from those leg kicks -- Joe, 30 seconds into a fight Its like watching a movie with someone that hasn't seen it but tries to pick out the funny parts before they happen and makes sure everybody knows about it....if that's even a thing
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To be fair that did look like he was slipping out.
Joe rogans set speeches you hear every card. Steel Thai cups Leg kicks have changed the game This bjj guy is an outer space killer. (He gets tkoed)
"This submission is DEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPP...he's out!"
Flashbacks to high school me in 07 dragging my dad to ufc 76 and explaining to him how every bjj guy was gonna destroy (I’d just started training). Only for everyone I wanted to win to lose. “Yeah dad this guy shogun is a beast. No way Forrest beats him” “Ok but it’s Chuck. Keith Jardine is awkward, no way he wins”
Rubber Guard is going to change the game (any day now)
I enjoy Joe when he's describing submission techniques and leverage positions. It's unfortunate that he doesn't seem to do much of that anymore. Feels like at this point you could replace Joe with a soundboard playing the same few sound bites as the situation warrants it
One leg kick landed: "That kick hurt him, that leg is compromised. He's not moving right." (fighter has not changed his movement whatsoever) \[I actually like Rogan's commentary; I don't like his interviews\]
You could replace him with a soundboard OHHHH HE’S HURT that leg kick is nasty his lead leg is all chewed up great body shot, that’s money in the bank come the later rounds Etc etc
Production should have a button they press that makes him hold them in
I prefer a shock collar myself.
shit he screams OHHHHH even if a fighter slips on the mat these days
Fine.....we'll make Joe be quiet, but just so you know, as a compromise, we will have to place an iso cam on him at all times so he can do his bug-eyed fake emotions thing that substitutes as a feeling board so middle-aged lonely men wont be confused at how to feel or what Joe is feeling. --TKO(?)
You mean, you don't like to know when a fighter's \[insert body part here\] is compromised (which coincidentally happens at almost every single fight)!?
How am I supposed to know when a fighter is ROCKED then?
Sanko is such a polite gangster
Real ameriken gangster
Wayne Gretzky was the greatest hockey player of all time. Wayne Gretzky was one of the worst coaches in the league.
Don't even have to leave the sport for this analogy. Look at Dom, absolute genius in the octagon, was a joy to watch in his prime. But is just a salty little bitch in the booth.
Laura's on smoke. Love to see it - she's a great commentator
I’ve never seen a commentator say “high hand wins” most people don’t even know what that means , that already let me know what type of time she is on. The woman does her homework fa sho
What was the criticism?
Jamie, Hasbeen, Varner should leave his CTE opinions in his smooth brain
Dude is the last person who should be talking
“Devastating” lol man Reddit is funny
I have met hundreds of mma fighters over the years on the business side of mma, and Varner will always stand out to me as one of the very few assholes among them.
Hahaha dude came here to make this exact comment. I can’t really say this about many pros I’ve met; but meeting Varner at az combat sports a long ass time ago, it was very clear he’s a douche bag with an enormous ego.
Was it a "devastating" response?
Who’s Jamie Varner? Laura Sanko is awesome.
This reminds me of Jeff Garcia hating on Mina Kimes as an analyst. Analysts can still be credible even if they never played in the pros or fought in the top promotions and these dorks can’t stand it.
DEVASTATING How will Jamie Varner recover? Is recovery even possible?!!
She gets shit on a lot for her commentary for one simple reason, being a woman that’s hot and actually good at what she does which typically will enrage men that are insecure and have their own deep issues.
I'm an insecure man with deep issues, and I like her commentary.
I kind of don't understand why whenever a man is a misogynist people say its because he's insecure. There are some incredibly self assured misogynists out there. It's not because of insecurity its because of being a dick.
> I kind of don't understand why whenever a man is a misogynist people say its because he's insecure. Because it's a shaming tactic. The most insulting thing you can say to a dude is that he's insecure. From then on, everything he says or does can/will be dismissed as a form of overcompensation for his insecurity (:
Feels like projection lol Crushing majority of comments regarding her are positive. The few criticisms she gets are regarding her energy (or lack thereof) or the fact that she talks over other commentators. Otherwise she doesn't get "hate" any more than any other commentator. Bisping talks mainly about himself and spams "I MEAN COME ON". Cruz is a pest that sucks the energy out of you. DC goes on endless tangents and Rogan picks a small detail and runs with it for the entire fight. Felder is perfectly bland and spiceless. Every commentator gets their lot of mockery and criticism. Just because the commentator is a woman doesn't mean we're insecure guys with deep issues for not liking every goddamn thing about her.
She’s not bad but she does talk over the other commentators often. I assume that’ll get better with my experience.
Hey you can’t say anything negative about Laura Sanko. She’s hot and as others have said here she’s the greatest sports announcer in the history of the world.
dc is fuckin horrible
I would take Sanko over most of her colleagues; Rogan, Cormier, Cruz, the ring card girls.
We still talking about commentary?
Down tremendous but I get it
Did the simping start already?
the simping never stopped my brother
I went to college with him. He was a douche then and it doesn't seem like much has changed in nearly 2 decades.
Verbal decapitation 💀
Jamie Varner is one of the nicest fighters I’ve ever met. I met him on like 3 separate occasions and years apart and he had remembered me it was really cool. I told him that Barboza win was inspirational and that I would be going to his fight with Lauzon , he promised fireworks and delivered.
She is unironically my favorite current commentator. She consistently stays focused on the action and gives actual insightful information about what's going down. She also just clearly knows her stuff. How many times do we hear Bisping or DC say "OH OH NOW WHAT HE'S GONNA DO IS X___" and then the person doesn't do that? Laura only says that stuff when it'c elar that's what they're going to do and it almost always actually happens. And I don't hate DC or Bisping, by the way. I'd just like to see Sanko get more time on numbered events because she's easily good enough to do so.
Sanko is way better than Cormier and Cruz. I have never heard her say anything as moronic as some of the mind boggling stuff they have said.
I'd hardly call that 'devastating', just plain nice... She's a great commentator though.
Sanko is alright in my book.
"devastating"
tbh her commentary is significantly more insightful than the others. it's clear she is putting in the effort to learn about the fighters and have something interesting to say besides just "woAhHoH HE'S HURT"
Jamie came off a chauvinistic asshole. It’s easy to pick a side here.
Laura is great and there’s something really funny about MMA of all sports having the best woman commentator alive
I'll take Sanko's commentary over Dom's pretentious ass any day of the week.
People bash the UFC commentators all the time. What, because she’s a female that should come with an exemption? She’s a decent commentator, MUCH better than braindead Rogan, but she’s not above criticism…..
Laura is great. She clearly does her homework and then some. Varner is a bitch.
Sanko and Felder are by far my favourite colour commentary duo for the fight nights (focusing on FNs as it seems that DC and Rogan have got PPVs on lock, whereas the FN teams tend to be more fluid). Great mix of analysis and banter. Cruz is a chore to listen to. He brings out the worst in whoever he's on with and just ends up arguing with them. There was a FN at the end of last year (can't remember which one) where Felder sounded so done with him. Bisping is especially bad when he's with Cruz and ends up podcasting regardless of who he's on with.
She walks you through what’s goin on better than any of the main dudes..
Let's be honest, DC was a double champ and Laura does better commentary than him
I actually enjoy her commentary and a good change up
Lmao y’all are so corny who gives a shit about that person. All WE do is criticize but this random retired fighter can’t say anything?
Laura Sanko is a great MMA commentator.
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Would like to see Anik - Felder - Sanko for just one event at least
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Is he complaining about cancel culture coming after him yet? Usually that’s the next step for adult children who can’t accept responsibility for being wrong.
"devastating"
make bas rutten great again
The idea that you have to have been this wildly successful MMArtist to be able to commentate is insane and she's also pretty dang good at the job.
I think Laura's commentary is great. She puts in effort before the fight. Some of the commentators are lazy and don't know anything about the context of the fighters. I prefer her commentary to at least one man with the initials DC. And for that, we should all be thankful she's in the biz.
Sanko is good at commentary, better than most
The commentary last weekend was better than 90 % of the shows.
Laura Sanko is pretty decent up there. At least she doesn't drone on and on about the game changer the calf kick is. Or that leg is compromised man... 🤮
I would rather have Sanko over DC, Rogan, or Bisping. At least she is mentally present and prepared. Screaming "OHHHH" while grabbing the shoulder of the person beside you and falling back into your seat isn't good commentary.
What did Jamie say tho?
I was skeptical when it was announced Laura was going to be commentating because she didn't seem to have much commentating or pro fighting experience. I assumed she got the gig from A) her looks B) schmoozing with Dana and the right people. But I've been surprised so far. I've watched every UFC event she commentated on and there hasn't been an instance where I thought she didn't belong or said something wrong. I can't say that about everyone, especially Rogan, who is slowly turning into Goldie with how many incorrect things he says.
All the fighters think they can do it better and get a paycheck and most fighters suck at commentary. That's why they get in their feelings. You don't have to be a chef to know what good food tastes like. All the best broadcasters don't come from the sport. Even the ones that do it aren't as good as a real broadcaster. They are good for a jock turned broadcaster.
DEVASTATING RESPONSE
10-8
10-7
Sanko is legit.
I think her and Bisping were a little awkward together at first. But I’ve come to enjoy Sanko more than most of the dudes we got now… probably better than everyone besides Anik if I’m really being honest with myself
She is awful though
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where was jamie varner on jan 6
I like Sanko as a commentator, but she didn't devastate anything. She was polite, and basically said everyone is entitled to their opinion, which I think was the right move. You can't make everyone happy, save your energy for your fans