In 2013, Sanko made her professional MMA debut in Invicta FC, defeating Cassie Robb via submission. Sanko fought at 105 pounds, the atomweight division, which ultimately cut her career short due to many promotions not having that specific division, including the UFC. But being able to continue her journey in MMA, just in a different aspect, is something that she cherishes.
“What kept me going and what kept me just loving my job was the love of the game,” Sanko said. “To be able to be around the fighters and be there for some of the biggest moments in their lives, especially on Dana White’s Contender Series, you really see that brought into focus because that night, that contract, that one fight is everything to them. I’m a very empathetic person, so I’m riding that wave of emotion right with them.”
Getting to where she is now wasn’t an easy journey for Sanko, who first started calling fights in the Titan FC promotion in Kansas City, Missouri.
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“I didn’t get paid to do my job,” Sanko said. “I got tickets in exchange for covering blow-by-blow recaps of the fights, I got to sit cageside, and just be in the mix. It was a very humble start to begin with, for sure.”
