Auston Matthews attended UFC 303 and linked up with Kyle Forgeard [credits: Instagram/austonmatthews; X/Sportsnet)

In Photos: Auston Matthews attends UFC 303 with Clayton Keller, links with the Nelk Boys' Kyle Forgeard

Modified Jun 30, 2024 12:18 GMT

Toronto Maple Leafs center/alternate captain Auston Matthews attended UFC 303 on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada with Utah Hockey Club winger Clayton Keller.

A clip of the two strolling inside the building has since made rounds on the internet.

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Matthews has taken time away from the ice in the offseason and his attendance to the headliner event of the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship—a rematch between current champion Alex Pereira and former champion Jiří Procházka—was one such instance.

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He wore a checkered shirt over a plain white tee and paired it with black pants. He also sported a baseball cap and wore suspended silver earnings.

Nelk Boys' Kyle Forgeard, who also attended the event, linked up with Matthews and the two posed for a picture. Both Matthews and the YouTuber shared a photo of their interaction on their Instagram stories.

Auston Matthews and Kyle Forgerard at UFC 303

Fans react to Auston Matthews attending UFC 303

Matthews' attendance at UFC 303 did not go unnoticed by fans. They were quick to react on social media, specifically X/Twitter, and took subtle jibes at the player:

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Earlier on Friday, Matthews was announced to have been selected for Team USA in the upcoming Four Nations Face-Off tournament.

Alongside Matthews, the initial roster included Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks, Charlie McAvoy of the Boston Bruins, Jack Eichel of the Vegas Golden Knights, Matthew Tkachuk of the Florida Panthers, and Adam Fox of the New York Rangers.

This NHL-hosted tournament will start on February 12, 2025, and will feature teams from Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States who will compete in a round-robin format.