A basketball fan in the US who proposed to his girlfriend just a few days before Christmas has been dealt an excruciating blow as his partner rejected him in front of thousands of fans on the big screen.

The proposal took place during a University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) college basketball game, with the build-up to the big moment coming as fans across the stadium were encouraged to smooch on the cutely-named 'Mistletoe Cam'.

Instead of going in for a kiss, the fan went down on one knee.

The atmosphere of romance crashed to a halt as his girlfriend shook her head and fled the stadium.

The proposal appears to be legitimate even though it seems like a publicity stunt but it has left one man broken-hearted.