UFC presenter Laura Sanko has been forced to deny having a crush on fighter Shavkat Rakhmonov following a viral joke.
The gag started when Sanko – the UFC’s first ever female colour commentator – claimed she would get “nervous” interviewing Rakhmonov.
She said: “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.”
Sanko, 40, then became a hit in Rakhmonov’s native Kazakhstan, especially after wearing his traditional headdress.
The welterweight’s team-mate Gerald Meerschaert then joked that he could get Rakhmonov’s number for Sanko.
It forced the American to go on the defence and clarify herself.
She said: “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] and I need to correct the record. I’m still a fan, I just don’t have a crush.
“The entire country of Kazakhstan is very excited about it, because I got like 20,000 new followers after [the rumours began].”
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Rakhmonov, 28, has made strides in the UFC’s 170lb division, recently taking his record to 17–0 by beating Geoff Neal, 32, in March.
The UFC are now working on his next bout to be against No4 ranked contender Belal Muhammad, 34.
Britain’s Leon Edwards, 31, reigns the division having won and retained the belt against long-time champion Kamaru Usman, 35.
