An MMA fighter has sparked backlash after planting an unwanted kiss on his female opponent before their intergender match.
Australian grappler Craig Jones is set to face Brazilian superstar Gabi Garcia in a fight at the 'Craig Jones Invitational' this weekend in Las Vegas.
The 33-year-old is regarded as one of the best fighters in the industry with 55 career wins.
At the same time, Garcia, 38, has excelled in the women’s division with an astonishing 71 wins, and six victories in professional MMA fights.
The two brawlers agreed to an intergender Jiu-Jitsu match due to their matching physical stats, with Garcia being taller and heavier than her male challenger.
This week, a video circulated on social media of the stars' final face-off before their big match.
Garcia is seen towering over her shirtless opponent as they lock eyes, and then out of nowhere, Jones grabs her face and kisses her on the lips.
The MMA fighter was left shocked by the act while Jones, who is also a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist, ran away laughing.
She then exclaimed: "You’re a b***h, man. Really? Craig, really? F*** you. You crossed the line, crossed the line, crossed the line," before slapping the camera away.
Watch the moment below:Now, Sportskeeda has reported that the kiss could have been staged to help promote the fight -- but that hasn't stopped footage of the moment going viral on social media, leading to many viewers slamming Jones over the act.
"That’s sexual harassment," one user on X wrote, while another chimed in: "He truly crossed the line, and I think he should be fined this behavior."
A third shared: "Sexually assaulted someone while knowing you’re on camera is f***ing insane," while a fourth added: "I really don't know what went through his head thinking this was a good idea."
"Nah WTF there’s no way this is even real the fact that people even think sexual harassment is funny is scary." one more said.
According to Daily Mail, Garcia herself addressed the viral incident on her online platforms, reportedly writing: "I'm more mad because he hurt my head than that he tried to kiss me. My head still hurts but look, it's martial arts, right? Don't blame the clown."
"Instead ask yourself, 'Why do I keep going to the circus?' I'm the clown or he's the clown, but you're going to the circus, right? You're there for a laugh," she continued.
"If I didn't want nobody judging me or talking s*** about me, or laughing about me, I probably would have stopped a long time ago, like 18 years ago," she added.
The Aussie later revealed that the Garica vs Jones ‘super fight’ had been canceled because "Brazilians can’t take a joke," however, he later backtracked with a new post, which said: “The fight is back on.”
The match will be contested over three five-minute rounds, with a winner being declared if either fighter lands a submission inside the distance.
Judges will decide who is victorious if they both make it to the end of the contest.
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