He’s known for his hot temper in the ballroom but lately our favorite former Dancing with the Stars pro has been showing a softer side  – and now he’s going public about his romance with Kate Upton.

Maksim “Why Is My Last Name So Hard To Spell?” Chmerkovskiy has been spotted holding hands and looking cuddly with the Sports Illustrated cover model. 

“They are very serious,” a source told PEOPLE. (Check out the photos!)

The pair met through mutual friends and began spending time together back in June, but initially denied relationship rumors.

However, on June 10, the 33-year-old (I will not spell his name again, I just will not) took Upton out for a romantic dinner in New York to celebrate her 21st birthday where they were seen acting “very canoodly,” according to Us Weekly.

“That’s when it really happened,” the source added. “It all really started just after her 21st birthday. They just clicked. They have a lot of chemistry together.”

That’s not hard to imagine after watching Maks sizzle on the dance floor!

_{Image credit: Peter Ko [CC-BY-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons (left) , Albert Domasin from Los Angeles, United States (April 07 Stoli Hotel 004) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons (right)}