Mackenzie Dern offers Laura Sanko words of support in the wake of criticism

Mackenzie Dern has come out in support of Laura Sanko after she was recently the target of severe criticism from former UFC lightweight Jamie Varner, who took issue with her commentary.

Dern's support took place in the comment section of an Instagram post sharing a clip of Alan Jouban, another former UFC fighter, reacting to Varner's insults.

Check out Alan Jouban defending Laura Sanko:

Jouban could be seen speaking in defense of Sanko, and this prompted several other UFC fighters to join in, including Dern, who praised Sanko's intelligence with a short but sweet comment:

"She is great!! Beautiful and smart! @laura_sanko"

A screenshot of Mackenzie Dern's comment in defense of Laura Sanko

Sanko, whose commentary has been well-received by fans due to her knowledge of the sport, was shockingly criticized by Varner just days ago. Varner called for a fighter to join the UFC broadcast booth, somehow forgetting that he and Sanko had once fought on the same card.

Often-times, Sanko's short-lived career as a fighter goes forgotten, but she previously competed at Titan FC 20, where she had an amateur MMA fight with Kyla Potter, beating her via submission. After racking up several amateur wins, Sanko made her professional debut at Invicta FC 4.

She emerged victorious once more, submitting Cassie Rob with a second-round rear-naked choke. However, due to the absence of an atomweight division in the UFC and her pregnancy, Sanko felt a lack of motivation to continue fighting, as there was no home for women her size in MMA's top promotion.

Instead, she transitioned into the MMA media world and has since become the second woman to commentate in the UFC, after Kathy Long.

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There have been other MMA fighters who have had issues with Laura Sanko

While Laura Sanko is a beloved figure in MMA, enjoying friendships with the likes of former UFC champions Daniel Cormier and Chris Weidman, she isn't universally loved.

Former women's featherweight title challenger Megan Anderson left MMA social media abuzz in 2022 when she accused Sanko of infidelity.

Specifically, she accused her of having an affair with James Krause, who formerly owned Glory MMA, where both Sanko and Anderson trained. As Sanko and Krause were married to different people, the implications of an affair could have proved damaging.

However, Sanko opted against addressing the allegations, and Anderson herself never echoed them again.