UFC's Laura Sanko addresses Shavkat Rakhmonov rumors after teammate offers to get his number

Laura Sanko, a UFC broadcast analyst and commentator, recently had fans speculating about her feelings towards surging welterweight prospect Shavkat Rakhmonov after she was captured gushing at him.

Rakhmonov last faced Geoff Neal at UFC 285. During the weigh-in show, Sanko said the following:

"Shavkat Rakhmonov, that man, he gives me chills. I've never interviewed him, I've never spoken to him, but I feel like I would get nervous..."

Watch the video below:

Sanko's comments were the talk of the MMA town for weeks, and it appears that the recently anointed UFC commentator has grown slightly tired of the rumors.

At UFC 287's weigh-in show, middleweight veteran Gerald Meerschaert, who trains with Shavkat Rakhmonov, told Laura Sanko that he could give her the welterweight's number.

Sanko then took the opportunity to address the rumors once and for all. She even claimed that she had gained thousands of Kazakhstani followers, where Rakhmonov is from, who thought that Sanko had a 'crush' on him.

Laura Sanko said this:

"Can we please address this... I don't have a crush on the man. I like his fighting style. An entire country thinks that I [have a crush on Shavkat Rakhmonov]. And I need to correct the record. I'm still a fan, I just don't have a crush [on him]. The entire country of Kazakhstan is very excited about it, 'cause I got like 20,000 new followers after [the UFC 285 weigh-in show]."

Watch the video below:

Shavkat Rakhmonov is one of the most promising contenders in the welterweight division and has a perfect record of 16-0. Remarkably, all 16 wins are by stoppage, with eight knockout and eight submission wins.

Rakhmonov is 5-0 in the UFC, and at the age of just 28, he is yet to enter his prime.

---

Laura Sanko reacts to praise from UFC co-workers after making promotional history

Laura Sanko made promotional history in February when she became the first female to be appointed as a color commentator for a UFC event.

Following her time as a commentator on Dana White's Contender Series, Sanko was promoted to covering UFC events, something she had dreamt of doing for years.

Aside from her work as a commentator, Sanko is one of the UFC's leading analysts and broadcasters. She holds a 1-0 record in MMA, and is also a brown belt in BJJ. Laura Sanko uses her experience in the sport to provide in-depth analysis.

After making UFC history by becoming the first female color commentator, Sanko was shown a video of her colleagues congratulating her, with the likes of Jon Anik, Daniel Cormier and Michael Bisping all featuring.

She said the following:

"That's cool, really cool. It's cool to see those people say that, it's really neat, s**t! You guys are the worst/the best!"

Watch the video below: