In a scene that left thousands of spectators stunned, the Czech MMA fighter experienced a brutal rejection after proposing to his girlfriend moments after losing his bout at the Clash of the Stars tournament.
The incident, which happened in front of a packed arena of over 20,000 fans, began with Bukovaz having just suffered a defeat in his fight.
Instead of quietly walking away feeling sad, the fighter did something unexpected, he walked over to his girlfriend sitting by the ring and knelt down.
The crowd thought this would be a nice proposal. They cheered and clapped when the fighter got down on one knee.
To people's surprise, the woman immediately said no to her boyfriend's proposal. The crowd felt uncomfortable when they saw this was not a happy moment.
The woman covered her face, looking embarrassed. She told the fighter that based on what had happened, she did not think she could accept his proposal.
She firmly rejected him, leaving the fighter and the shocked audience in an awkward, silent moment.
"Based on everything that's happened, I think probably not. I don't think so."
She firmly accused Bukovaz of cheating on her.
While the details of their relationship were not disclosed, it was clear that the trust between the couple had been severely damaged, leading the girlfriend to publicly humiliate her partner in front of thousands of onlookers.
After the incident, Bukovaz shared a clip on his Instagram account, denying the allegation that he had been unfaithful.
Following the very public humiliation, many social media users have expressed sympathy for the MMA fighter as the video of the rejected proposal went viral online.
On the other hand, others expressed that Bukovaz shouldn't make a public proposal, as it puts a woman in a pressured position to say yes.
Good for her, refusing to be manipulated. As for some booing audience members, they need to remember they don't have to live with him, and she made the right decision given the circumstances, one user said.
I certainly wouldn't propose in front of an audience. That would put pressure on the person you're proposing to. I think it's an awful thing to do, the second user said.
Public proposals are incredibly coercive. Putting someone in a position where it's almost impossible to say no. I'm glad this woman felt able to stand up to that pressure, the third user commented.
I would be furious if my partner proposed to me in front of an audience. It's almost forcing her to accept by way of emotional manipulation. So cheating or not, the answer would be a big fat no. I'm glad she had the courage to refuse him, another user wrote.
Never publicly propose. It's disaster waiting to happen. No one should feel sorry for nor be disgruntled to either involved, someone wrote.
Previously, a man named Valerio decided to propose to his girlfriend in Rome, Italy on Christmas Eve.
He had set up a romantic scene, dancing with his partner as an opera singer performed 'O Sole Mio' in a crowded public square.
However, when Valerio got down on one knee and presented the engagement ring, his girlfriend declined the proposal.
In a viral video, she stated that she wasn't ready to accept his proposal. Although the man repeatedly asked "Is it a yes or no?", his partner firmly shook her head to refuse.
After the embarrassing incident, Valerio later posted the video on his Instagram, adding a humorous caption joking that luckily Cartier has a 30-day return policy.
This incident sparked a lot of discussion on social media. Some expressed sympathy for Valerio, while others criticized him for orchestrating a public proposal without knowing if his partner was ready.
Some comments suggested public proposals should always be declined to avoid embarrassment for the person being proposed to.
