UFC Unfiltered with Jim Norton and Matt Serra

On today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim Norton and Matt Serra welcome UFC legends Frankie Edgar and Forrest Griffin for a show packed with laughs, insights, and fight talk. With a combined 25 appearances on Unfiltered, these Hall of Famers bring their unique perspectives on life in and out of the cage. Frankie Edgar kicks things off, reflecting on his final fight and his new venture as a coach at Frankie Edgar’s Iron Academy — which has its grand opening this Saturday, October 26th. Frankie looks back on his career and his matchups against guys like Rafael Dos Anjos and Max Holloway before explaining what it is that contributes to the longevity of guys like those as they each prepare for fights on this Saturday’s UFC 308 card. Forrest Griffin joins next to catch up with the guys and discuss his work at the UFC Performance Institute. Before wrapping up, Forrest probes Jim and Matt for their UFC 308 picks before offering some insightful breakdowns of his own.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

At long, at last… Jim Norton is back! After doing super cool actor stuff, Matt’s comedic partner in crime makes his glorious return to the show for an episode of UFC Unfiltered that invites middleweight Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez and women’s bantamweight Kayla Harrison on for a pair of chats. Fresh off a dominant win over Michel Pereira in his first-ever UFC main event, Hernandez explains how his even-keeled demeanor allows him to shake off the pressure. What’s more: a big-name contender surprises Jim and Matt by barging in on the call to vouch for Hernandez’s work ethic! When Jim and Matt catch up with Kayla Harrison, the 2nd-ranked women’s bantamweight reiterates her full-fledged confidence in the way she matches up against Julianna Peña — so much so that Kayla fires some shots at the newly-crowned champion for dodging the smoke.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered features a pair of guest callers fighting on Saturday’s main card in bantamweight Kyler Phillips and featherweight Darren Elkins. With Jim Norton still out for the day, John Morgan slides in as today’s guest co-host — and he begins the show with Matt by asking Phillips about his rise into the bantamweight Top 15. After discussing the stakes of his upcoming co-main event against Rob Font, Kyler and Matt bond over their enjoyment of “The Penguin” and video games. Then, Darren Elkins calls into the show for the first time ahead of his fight vs. Daniel Pineda. Together, the guys talk about how his perspective as a 40-year-old veteran who has managed to win 18 UFC fights as a featherweight with his all-action fighting style.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this episode of UFC Unfiltered, Matt Serra teams up with special guest co-host Din Thomas to break down the action from last Saturday's UFC Fight Night: Royval vs. Taira. The two recap Brandon Royval's thrilling performance in his victory over Tatsuro Taira and discuss what it means for the flyweight title picture. They also analyze other key matchups from the event and share their take on the Fight Night's top moments. The highlight of the episode comes when rising middleweight star Torrez Finney calls in. Two weeks after securing his UFC contract with a third win on Dana White's Contender Series, Finney reflects on his transition from Division 1 football to MMA. He opens up about his decorated high school wrestling background and how his journey back to combat sports after a promising football career led him to the UFC. Finney also discusses the key influences in his life and training that have shaped him into the undefeated fighter he is today.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With Jim Norton out on acting duties, Phoenix Carnevale steps in his place for a show with Matt Serra that invites lightweight Grant Dawson and Steve-O on as guest callers. Joining first is Dawson — and the Star Wars superfan geeks out with Matt and Phoenix before discussing how his bounce-back win against Joe Solecki has shaped him ahead of this Saturday’s fight vs. Rafa Garcia. Then, Steve-O joins the show on the tour bus to discuss his life on the road of his “The Super Dummy” comedy tour. Steve-O bonds with Matt over what it’s like being 50 before diving into some MMA talk as the UFC superfan he is. Finally, Matt and Phoenix wrap up the show by examining the matchups on this Saturday’s UFC Fight Night: Royval vs. Taira card.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Matt Serra is joined by guest co-host Brett Okamoto, filling in for Jim Norton. UFC welterweight Joaquin "New Mansa" Buckley stops by to break down his recent win over Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson and discuss his callout of Kamaru Usman. Later, 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu instructor and Fight Pass analyst Brandon Mccaghren talks about his journey in jiu-jitsu, launching the Professional Grappling Federation, and how submission grappling is evolving. Plus, a recap of UFC 307 and more!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by 9th-ranked welterweight Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and women’s strawweight Carla Esparza ahead of their respective fights on this Saturday’s UFC 307 card in Salt Lake City. Joining first is Wonderboy, and the 20-fight UFC veteran discusses his upcoming welterweight clash with Joaquin Buckley along with how a 41-year-old like him stays sharp enough to contend against some of the best fighters in a stacked division. Then, former women’s strawweight champion Carla Esparza joins the show to reflect on her career as she prepares for the final fight of her decorated career. Esparza talks about balancing motherhood and fight prep as she gets ready for a rematch with Tecia Pennington 10 years removed from their battle on The Ultimate Fighter.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by surging UFC middleweight Nassourdine Imavov fresh off his impressive win at UFC Paris. Before Imavov joins, Jim and Matt recap the action from this past Saturday’s card in France. Later on, with Imavov’s answers translated from French, the fourth-ranked middleweight breaks down his victorious performance against Brendan Allen. Then he discusses his growing confidence in his ground game before wrapping things up with his thoughts on potential matchups down the line — including a possible rematch with Sean Strickland. Finally, UFC gambling analyst Minty Bets talks about her unique path into sports betting and reveals some insight for those looking to bet on this Saturday’s UFC 307 card in Salt Lake City.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, lightweight Matt Frevola and welterweight Bryan Battle join Jim Norton and Matt Serra from Paris ahead of their upcoming bouts on Saturday’s card. Calling into the show on his third wedding anniversary, Frevola gets candid about how special it is to not only fight in France, but to also be joined by his wife and their three-month old son. Frevola reflects on the support of his close friend and Serra-Longo teammate Merab Dvalishvili before breaking down his mindset going into a fight in enemy territory vs. France's own Fares Ziam. Between guests, the guys talk about Dana White’s foray into boxing, reacting to the excitement expressed by both Teddy Atlas and Mike Tyson regarding the UFC CEO and president’s recent announcement. Shortly after, Bryan Battle joins the show — and the seven-fight UFC veteran reflects on the six APEX events he’s fought along with the one time he fought in his hometown of Charlotte as a way of contrasting how different Saturday’s unique experience will be to fight Kevin Jousset in front of a hostile Paris crowd on Saturday.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by #1 ranked women’s flyweight contender Manon Fiorot — who joins the show for an engaging interview with responses translated from French into English. Fiorot opens up about her experience as the backup fighter for the co-main event at UFC 306 between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko, sharing her thoughts on how the trilogy unfolded before ultimately previewing how a fight between her and Shevchenko could look. The French native discusses her martial arts journey, starting karate at age 7, and reflects on how she has evolved into a well-rounded mixed martial artist over the last 27 years. With the UFC slated to return to Paris for another exciting card this weekend, Fiorot also shares her excitement about the rapid growth of MMA in her native country since the sport’s legalization in 2020. Jim Norton and Matt Serra close out the episode with three predictions each from this Saturday's card in Paris headlined by Renato Moicano and Benoît Saint Denis.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this action-packed episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by two dynamic guests: martial artist and movie star Michael Jai White and UFC welterweight Michael “Venom" Page. The two guests open up about their friendship, with Page sharing how White's martial arts expertise and on-screen experience have been a huge inspiration. Things take an interesting turn when Page seeks acting advice from White, blending their worlds of film and combat sports. The conversation then shifts to Page's fight career, where he talks about bouncing back from a close loss to Ian Machado Garry and his determination to sharpen his grappling skills for future bouts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s a huge Monday episode of UFC Unfiltered as Jim Norton and Matt Serra chat with newly crowned bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili just days after his huge victory over Sean O’Malley at UFC 306! Merab breaks down his fight, what it means to finally wear UFC gold, and who he sees as his next big challenger. Later, MMA writer Kevin Iole joins the show to rave about the jaw-dropping production of Saturday’s UFC 306 at the Sphere, before diving into the massive announcement of Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Two guests, two champs! An event as MASSIVE as UFC 306 at the Sphere calls for an episode of UFC Unfiltered that reflects as much. Bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley & women’s flyweight champion Alexa Grasso join the show alongside guest co-host John Morgan filling in for Matt Serra. Set to face Valentina Shevchenko in the co-main event, Mexico’s own Alexa Grasso reflects on the magnitude of an event dedicated to the Mexican people as she discusses what it’s been like spending nearly two years preparing for the exact same opponent in three consecutive fights. Between guests, Jim Norton and John Morgan examine the upper half of this Saturday’s card, getting in on a couple predictions before Sean O’Malley hops in to break down the stakes of his bantamweight title defense against number one ranked contender, Merab Dvalishvili.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Could Din Thomas be the most reliable man in UFC Unfiltered history? Well, it turns out all he needs is a mic and a pair of headphones — because days removed from cornering welterweight Sean Brady to victory in this past Saturday's main event, Din moves heaven and earth to demonstrate his loyalty by calling in from the AIRPORT to save the day as today's guest co-host. Calling in first is Urijah Faber — who discusses his numerous post-fighting career ventures and how they've all come from a place of wanting to help the sport grow. A pioneer of the lower weight classes, Faber reflects on his early MMA days before reveling in the fact that the sport has evolved to a point that bantamweights are headlining a fight card at a one-of-a-kind venue like the Sphere. With this Saturday's main event in mind, Urijah offers some intriguing insight on the stylistic matchup between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O'Malley. Shortly after Urijah hops off, the guys invite Sean Brady on to the show to get the Philly fighter's reaction to having Din in his corner for his decisive victory in this past Saturday's main event against Gilbert Burns. Looking to get back atop the welterweight division, Brady doesn't hesitate to call out a few opponents that he'd be willing to fight in his next fight.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jim and Matt return after the Labor Day break for a show that invites middleweight Andre Petroski and featherweight Kyle Nelson on for a chat ahead of their respective fights on this Saturday’s card. Joining first is Petroski, who gets candid about the lessons he learned in his latest victory — a unanimous decision win that put an end to the first two-fight skid of his pro MMA career. Andre breaks down his matchup against Dylan Budka before ultimately explaining why he thinks a win puts him in a great place to finally get the Bo Nickal fight he’s been asking for. Shortly after, Kyle Nelson calls in from a local store in Vegas to talk about his upcoming fight on Saturday’s main card. Originally set to fight Calvin Kattar before an injury forced him off the card, Nelson explains the shift in his mindset as he now prepares to take on Steve Garcia, who boasts an impressive four-fight knockout streak of his own. Finally, Jim and Matt wrap up the show with four picks each from this Saturday’s UFC Fight Night card at the APEX headlined by Gilbert Burns and Sean Brady.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s episode features two separate 125-pounders of opposite genders in women’s flyweight Erin Blanchfield and men’s UFC champion Alexandre Pantoja. Blanchfield walks through what went wrong in her recent loss to Manon Fiorot before sharing her views on jiu-jitsu tournaments. The New Jersey native wraps up her interview with thoughts on the type of fight we can expect in the high-stakes trilogy between current women’s flyweight champion Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko in a few weeks at UFC 306. Feeling re-energized by a small but much-needed break, Pantoja takes a look down from his throne atop the men’s flyweight division to assess the depth of the talent pool with the intent of figuring out if Kai Kara-France has the strongest case for the shot to compete for his belt.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by a pair of winners from Saturday’s card in The Ultimate Fighter Season 32 featherweight winner Mairon Santos and women’s strawweight Tabatha Ricci. Fresh off a scintillating knockout to earn his way into the UFC, Santos bonds with Matt over their shared experience in The Ultimate Fighter house before discussing the string of events that led Mairon to forego his soccer dreams back in his native Brazil to pursue a career in martial arts. In between interviews, the guys share their takeaways from UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Borralho. Shortly after, Jim and Matt catch up with Tabatha Ricci — who unpacks the keys to her decision win over a tricky veteran like Angela Hill. Ever so determined to reinforce her striking, Tabatha outlines her plans to bring her talented boxing boyfriend Callum Walsh with her to Thailand where she seeks to focus on her Muay Thai before a planned return to the cage in 2025.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim and Matt are joined by a pair of U.S. Army veterans turned UFC veterans in welterweight Neil Magny and middleweight Jared Cannonier. Looking to build off a resounding upset win over Mike Malott, Magny talks about his standing in the game as a veteran and how his experience keeps him calm enough to capitalize off mistakes made by younger opponents. Having just signed a four-fight deal to remain with the UFC, the 37-year-old Magny then goes on to explain what he expects from unbeaten 25-year-old Michael Morales on Saturday night’s main card. Shortly after, Jared Cannonier calls in ahead of his main event on Saturday against 12th-ranked Caio Borralho. Eager to move past his most recent loss to Nassourdine Imavov that many observers (like Matt) believed may have been stopped too early. Cannonier wraps things up by looking into scenarios that could help the middleweight veteran re-emerge into a title picture amongst current champion Dricus Du Plessis.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With UFC 305 officially in the books, Jim and Matt extend an invite to UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad for an episode of UFC Unfiltered that recaps Saturday’s action. But first, the guys give Belal the floor in his first appearance on the podcast as a world champion to address his fellow welterweights and assess which of them are deserving of his first title defense. As the conversation shifts to UFC 305, the guys break down what went wrong for Israel Adesanya in his first fight back in 11 months to UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis. After that, they wrap up the show by sharing their other takeaways from Saturday’s card — including flyweight Kai Kara-France’s statement win in the co-main event and lightweight Dan Hooker’s gritty performance in a split decision win over Mateusz Gamrot.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With just days until the UFC returns to Perth, Jim and Matt use today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered to chat with Australian WWE star Grayson Waller and make picks with UFC anchor Karyn Bryant. Rocking a Tai Tuivasa shirt in support of his heavyweight friend, Waller calls in to share his support for his fellow Aussie UFC fighters and look back on the path that led him to becoming the WWE tag-team star he is today. Finally, UFC anchor Karyn Bryant calls in to cap off the show to examine whether Israel Adesanya’s 11-month break between fights will serve to benefit the former champion as he enters the cage as a challenger seeking to reclaim his throne from current UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis. Karyn joins in on Jim and Matt’s predictions at the end of the show with a few of her own from the main card of Saturday’s UFC 305 event in Perth, Australia.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by unbeaten welterweight prospect Danny Barlow after his win over the weekend before extending the invite to a longtime friend of the show in actor Aleks Paunovic. Fresh off his second win in the UFC, Barlow talks about the learning curve required to get off to a fast 9-0 start in his young career. The Memphis native goes on to explain how the first Creed movie ultimately inspired him to embark on a new journey in MMA after previous dreams of chasing a career in professional basketball. Later on, the guys bring Aleks Paunovic back on the show — who fills Jim and Matt in on his latest acting and business ventures before wrapping things up with a chat about the breathtaking visuals they’re hoping to see at the Sphere when the UFC brings UFC 306 to a venue that is truly one-of-a-kind.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim and Matt are joined by a pair of fighters on this Saturday’s card in featherweight Youssef Zalal and heavyweight Karl Williams. Energized by his current streak of four straight stoppages, Youssef calls in ahead of his fight against Jarno Errens to discuss how he has rebuilt his game after his first stint in the UFC ended with him getting cut. When Karl Williams calls in, the rising heavyweight talks about how his background as a state champion in the 100 meter dash and collegiate football defensive end shaped him into an athlete that has since taken MMA on full-time. To wrap up the show, Jim and Matt circle back to last weekend’s bantamweight action, where they assess what matchups we could see next after the release of the most recent rankings. Finally, the guys wrap up the show by predicting the winner of this Saturday’s main event rematch between Marcin Tybura and Serghei Spivac.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today's episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim and Matt are joined by a Serra-Longo product in bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili and another friend of the show in Chris Pontius. The two co-hosts begin the episode with a discussion about what Tony Ferguson’s eighth straight loss means for his UFC future before ultimately inviting Merab on to the show. Returning to Unfiltered for the first time since his title shot was made official for UFC 306, Dvalishvili sheds light on the stylistic matchup between him and bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley as Matt points out the advantageous part about Merab being shorter than his opponent. Shortly after Merab’s interview ends, Chris Pontius catches up with Jim and Matt for an intriguing chat about what the longtime “Jackass” crew member is up to these days.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Actor Florian Munteanu and comedian Gary Owen join Jim and Matt for today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered. Promoting the upcoming theatrical release of his “Borderlands” movie, Munteanu discusses his starring role amongst a star-studded cast for the sci-fi action comedy. A former boxer himself with an extensive appreciation of combat sports, Florian flexes his UFC knowledge with a neat personal anecdote of Alex Pereira’s rivalry with Israel Adesanya. Shortly after, Gary Owen hops on the show — where the veteran comedian reflects on his recent trip abroad to compare how Americans differ in their sense of humor with people from other countries. Jim and Matt wrap up the show by examining Saturday’s stacked card in Abu Dhabi, predicting four fights each from the main card headlined by Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by a pair of highly-ranked UFC featherweights in Aljamain Sterling and Arnold Allen. Sterling reflects on his recent experience competing on a Karate Combat card before sharing his thoughts on UFC 304, going into extreme detail on both welterweight Belal Muhammad and lightweight Paddy Pimblett’s victorious outings. Aljo wraps up his interview with a breakdown of Merab Dvalishvili’s keys to victory against Sean O’Malley in the recently confirmed bantamweight title fight on September’s UFC 306 card at the Sphere. Back in the win column after a two-fight skid, Arnold Allen calls in to explain the payoff of picking up a crucial win in the early hours of a Sunday morning card in his home country. Finally, the guys end the show by playing out matchmaking scenarios for the UFC’s heavyweight division in light of Tom Aspinall’s impressive win over Curtis Blaydes.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With Jim Norton out for the day, MMA writer John Morgan makes his return to UFC Unfiltered for a show alongside Matt Serra that sees the two chat with flyweight Manel Kape and middleweight Gregory Rodrigues ahead of their fights on this Saturday's UFC 304 card. Making his debut on the podcast, Kape reflects on his upbringing. After sharing that his father's decorated boxing background created his passion for fighting, Manel unpacks the origins of his fiery mentality before breaking down his mindset going into Saturday's highly anticipated fight against undefeated Muhammad Mokaev. When Gregory Rodrigues hops on, the Brazilian middleweight explains that being on this Saturday's UFC 304 main card in Manchester is a full-circle moment for him as someone who was cornering Vitor Belfort eight years ago in Manchester for UFC 204. The fighter known as "RoboCop" then goes on to share how family keeps him grounded as he approaches his matchup against Britain's Christian Leroy Duncan.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Matt and Jim are joined by featherweight Steve Garcia and legendary announcer Bruce Buffer. After recapping their weekend festivities, Jim gets Matt to walk through women’s strawweight Virna Jandiroba’s impressive submission win from over the weekend against Amanda Lemos. With Steve Garcia joining the show for the first time, the guys get the featherweight veteran to share his story of how his MMA journey has led him to his current streak of four straight knockouts following Saturday’s first-round stoppage against SeungWoo Choi. Then, Bruce Buffer calls in to discuss what he enjoys most about traveling across the globe to announce fights before weighing in on the landscape of the UFC’s heavyweight division. Finally, Jim and Matt wrap up the show by making their predictions for this Saturday’s UFC 304 card in Manchester, England.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today's episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by UFC flyweight veteran Cody Durden ahead of his fight on this Saturday's card at the APEX. Making his first appearance on the podcast, Durden breaks down his familiarity with Bruno Silva as he discusses how a matchup against a fellow American Top Team fighter came about for the main card of UFC Fight Night: Lemos vs. Jandiroba. When Durden's interview ends, Jim and Matt discuss Khamzat Chimaev's standing in the middleweight title picture before wrapping up the show with a sneak peak at the intriguing rematches atop the main card of next week's UFC 304 pay-per-view card in Manchester.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's episode of UFC Unfiltered is jam-packed with laughter as Din Thomas rejoins the show to "fill in" (we'll explain later) for an episode that features featherweight Julian Erosa and actor Lewis Tan. Fresh off a victory on Saturday's card in Denver over Christian Rodriguez, Erosa discusses how he managed to pull off his second straight 1st-round guillotine. Then, Matt and Din bond with Erosa over their shared experience as alums from The Ultimate Fighter. Just when Matt thinks he's ready to talk to an actor with superhero experience... surprise, it's Jimmy! Pleased with his heroic return from a flight that landed early enough to join the show, Jim Norton gets to wrap up the show as part of the conversation with Lewis Tan — a lifelong MMA fan who describes how his own martial arts background shaped his current place as a burgeoning action movie star. Finally, the guys wrap up the show by delivering their takeaways from this past weekend's UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. Cortez.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim and Matt are joined by lightweight Drew Dober ahead of his fight on this Saturday’s card in Denver. Before Dober hops on, the guys dive into some of the matchups on the main card of this weekend’s event. The two co-hosts find themselves in agreement on a few picks before ultimately formulating different predictions in the women’s flyweight main event between Rose Namajunas and Tracy Cortez. Already accustomed to training in the Denver altitude, Drew Dober wraps up the show by shedding light on the fascinating manner in which his fight with Jean Silva swiftly came to fruition. Tied with Dustin Poirier for the most knockouts in UFC lightweight history, Drew explains his evolved mindset on letting the stoppages find him as opposed to setting expectations in his head about how his fights should play out.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Back from a Fourth of July break, Jim and Matt use today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered to chat with a pair of fighters from UFC 303 in Michelle Waterson-Gomez and Dan Ige. Joining first is Waterson-Gomez, who reflects on how family kept her grounded throughout her 17-year journey as a professional mixed martial artist. Having retired as a jiu-jitsu brown belt, the “Karate Hottie” reiterates her plan to stay in the gym in order to secure a black belt while weighing her post-fighting career options as a broadcaster, actress and coach. Just over one week removed from replacing Brian Ortega in the UFC 303’s co-main event, Dan Ige joins the show to paint the picture of what went down behind the scenes before stepping up to the plate in legendary fashion against Diego Lopes on the day of the fight. Aware that his stock has still elevated even though he lost, Ige outlines his desire to deliver another all-action scrap in his next fight by calling out Yair Rodriguez ahead of UFC 306 at the Sphere in Las Vegas.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A rivalry-turned-friendship makes its return to the show as today's episode of UFC Unfiltered features the great Georges St-Pierre calling in to catch up with Matt Serra and Jim Norton. As the guys talk GSP's post-fighting career business ventures, the former two-division UFC champion shares some exciting news about a fascinating project in development that MMA fans can expect to see from him in association with Netflix. Shortly after, promising bantamweight prospect Payton Talbott calls in to discuss his lightning-fast 19-second knockout on the UFC 303 prelims before explaining why he'd welcome a step up in competition with a name like Adrian Yanez. Finally, Jim and Matt cap off the show by dishing out their main takeaways from Saturday's card commemorating International Fight Week.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by middleweight Joe Pyfer and featherweight Cub Swanson ahead of their fights on this Saturday’s UFC 303 prelims. The guys begin the show by instantly diving into their pay-per-view picks before being joined by Joe Pyfer — who assesses his matchup with Marc-Andre Barriault and how he plans to bounce back from his first loss as a UFC fighter. Then, Cub Swanson uses his ninth appearance on the podcast to reflect on the state of his career as he nears his 41st birthday in November. Excited to fight in front of a crowd after a string of fights at the APEX, Swanson breaks down his upcoming fight against Andre Fili before discussing how much he enjoys his other roles in MMA as a coach, manager, and cage-side commentator for LFA. Jim and Matt wrap up the show with two more fight picks, landing on different winners for both the main and co-main event.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The first day of International Fight Week starts off in a big way with Jim and Matt celebrating the 800th episode of UFC Unfiltered! After unpacking the action from this past Saturday’s card in Saudi Arabia, the guys are surprised by a special montage of guests congratulating Matt and Jim on reaching their milestone episode. Calling in first is Mark Coleman, who reflects on the ups and downs of his UFC Hall of Fame career before opening up about how healthy lifestyle changes have facilitated his sobriety and helped him save his parents from a burning house earlier this year. Finally, Jim surprised Matt with a guest call from Master Renzo Gracie, who calls in from Switzerland to catch up with his former pupil and hear about the progress Jim has made on his own jiu-jitsu journey at one of Renzo’s many academies.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With Jim Norton out for the day, "The Schmo" makes his return to UFC Unfiltered for a show alongside Matt Serra that sees the guys talk to bantamweight Cory Sandhagen and rapper Major Nine. After a series of injuries between Cory and Umar Nurmagomedov which postponed their scheduled bantamweight matchup to August, Sandhagen unpacks the challenge of preparing for an unbeaten contender knowing that a loss could jeopardize his place as someone already well-positioned to fight for the UFC's 135-pound crown. Shortly after, Miami native Major Nine hops on the show to talk about his journey from playing defensive end in the NFL to rapping and producing alongside big-time artists like Rick Ross. A diehard MMA fan himself, Major Nine talks about how his family ties to Kimbo Slice helped him fall in love with the sport. To wrap things up, Matt and "The Schmo" preview a couple of fights from this Saturday's UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Aliskerov fight card in Saudi Arabia.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With a fight card to recap and plenty of short-notice fights to discuss, Jim and Matt are joined by bantamweight Miles Johns fresh off a victory and UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard. The guys begin by unpacking the action from this past Saturday’s UFC Fight Night: Perez vs. Taira before inviting Miles Johns on to hear what has helped fuel his four-fight unbeaten streak. After bonding over their shared roles as youth coaches, Matt and Miles discuss why they each love passing on their passion for martial arts to their own kids. Finally, Jim and Matt wrap up the show with a timely conversation with Mick Maynard regarding the matchmaking process for whirlwind weeks like the one we just had with various injury-related changes to fight cards.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by a pair of fighters from this Saturday’s card in bantamweight Brady Hiestand and flyweight Alex Perez. Joining first is Hiestand, who shares his eager mindset as he seeks to pick up a third straight win after a 14-month layoff from various ailments. After that, the guys get a chance to talk to one half of the main event in veteran flyweight Alex Perez. Coming from a large family, Perez sheds light on how growing up with a bunch of siblings helped shape him into a tough wrestler before jumping into a career in MMA.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jim and Matt are joined by a pair of winners from this past Saturday night’s UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Imavov card in Zachary Reese and Punahele Soriano in an episode of UFC Unfiltered that sees the guys recap their favorite moments from their fights. Fresh off a $50,000 performance of the night bonus, middleweight Zachary Reese hops on to reflect on his lightning fast victory over Julian Marquez and how his approach to fighting lends itself to fights that end in finishes. In between guests, Jim and Matt recap the action from Saturday night’s card and weigh in on whether referee Jason Herzog’s stoppage was premature in Nassourdine Imavov’s main event victory over Jared Cannonier. Finally, the guys get a chance to catch up with Punahele Soriano after his dominant, record-breaking UFC welterweight debut.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today's episode of UFC Unfiltered, friend of the show Kevin Holland makes his twelfth appearance on the podcast just days removed from his whirlwind technical submission victory over Michal Oleksiejczuk at UFC 302. A pop culture junkie at his core, Matt begins the show by sharing his immediate thoughts on the TV debut of The Acolyte and how it shapes up compared to other Star Wars projects. When Kevin Holland hops on, the UFC veteran recounts how he was able to overcome a quick dose of adversity in Saturday's fight en route to a nasty armbar finish in which he heard his opponent's arm pop. Never one to turn down a fight at either middleweight or welterweight, Holland states his case for a quick turnaround on UFC 303 if called upon.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's Matt Serra's (belated) 50th birthday! To celebrate, Din Thomas calls in as a surprise guest co-host for a fun episode that also unpacks the action of Saturday's UFC 302 card. To Matt's surprise, friend-of-the-show Din Thomas makes his long anticipated return with a bang — immediately sharing a trifecta of funny photos to go along with Jim's corny dad jokes poking fun at Matt's old-ish age. Shortly after, the MMA talk begins as the guys unpack the good and the bad from UFC 302 while discussing their main takeaways. The guys each share their thoughts on what the immediate future holds for both Dustin Poirier and Islam Makhachev after their spirited lightweight title fight came to a wild end with Makhachev's D'arce choke in the fifth and final round.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today's episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim and Matt are back after a break in honor of Memorial Day for an episode revolving around Saturday's UFC 302 card featuring a pair of fighters on the card in welterweight Phil Rowe and lightweight Grant Dawson. Having gone a week without UFC action, Jim and Matt waste no time by immediately diving into matchups on the card before ultimately bringing on Phil Rowe as the first guest caller. A former excellent basketball player himself, Rowe delves deep into how he has since found solace in his journey as a professional fighter after initially hoping to break into basketball as a professional. Rowe goes on to explain how he wears his jiu-jitsu black belt with honor and takes grappling matches to help improve his skills for MMA fights like the one he has on Saturday against Jake Matthews. Shortly thereafter, Grant Dawson joins the show — and to the surprise of no one, Matt immediately asks his fellow Star Wars fan a series of questions about his thoughts on the franchise's new TV show set to drop. As Jim steers the conversation back to Dawson's fight against Joe Solecki on Saturday's prelims, the guys unpack the dynamics of a matchup that Matt calls a "grappler's delight". Finally, Jim and Matt wrap up the show with three picks atop the pay-per-view card of UFC 302 — and you don't want to miss the BOLD prediction made by one of the two co-hosts for the headlining lightweight title fight between Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jim and Matt use today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered to welcome on a pair of first-time callers in UFC women’s bantamweight Kayla Harrison and comedian Che Durena. Shortly after the show begins, Harrison candidly reflects on her judo beginnings and how the ups and downs of her earliest days in the sport helped shape her into the woman she is today. Later on, Kayla hilariously forgives Matt as he admits to mistakenly picking against the two-time Olympic gold medalist in her UFC debut against Holly Holm at UFC 300. When Che Durena calls in, the comedian and UFC diehard looks back at his early days in stand-up performing in front of tourists in Cancún and how stitching together his own reactions to assorted clips on social media helped him make a name for himself as a comedian during the pandemic.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, UFC welterweight Themba Gorimbo joins the show following his third straight win after Matt and Jim talk to WOWfc’s Arturo Guillén about his vision for Spain’s upstart MMA promotion. Joining first is Guillén, who serves as Executive Chairman in addition to co-founding WOW in his native country of Spain after decades of entertainment experience in the movie industry. While promoting the promotion’s upcoming fight card in Madrid, Arturo shares how his country’s burgeoning interest in martial arts after illustrating the details of the company’s international broadcasting partnership with the UFC and UFC Fight Pass. Fresh off a win over Ramiz Brahimaj on Saturday’s card, Themba Gorimbo calls in to explain why even his dominant unanimous decision win didn’t quite meet the high standards he has set for himself in just his fourth fight since entering the UFC. Hoping to get back to his knockout ways, Themba explains why he’d be all in on a short turnaround against a dangerous opponent on short notice. Finally, Jim and Matt wrap up the show by recapping last Saturday’s fights and delivering their main takeaways from the action at the UFC APEX.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim Norton and Matt Serra invite welterweight Khaos Williams and women’s strawweight Piera Rodriguez on the show ahead of their fights on this Saturday’s UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Murphy card. Joining the show first is Khaos Williams, who explains how MMA steered his life in the right direction after being incarcerated early on. A firm believer in fighting fully healthy over taking fights too soon, Williams shares his mindset going into Saturday’s co-main event while reflecting on how he’s been able to successfully rebound from the two losses in his UFC career. Jim and Matt then sneak in some fight picks from this Saturday’s card in Las Vegas before inviting Piera Rodriguez into the mix ahead of her fight against Ariane Carnelossi. Feeling rejuvenated in the 13 months since losing her most recent fight via submission, Rodriguez shares her honest thoughts on a referee stoppage that she maintains was premature. Nevertheless, Rodriguez iterates how her first career loss has served as a great learning experience and how it’ll help her moving forward.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim Norton and Matt Serra recap UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Nascimento with a pair of winners from the card in welterweight Trey Waters and featherweight Sean Woodson. Now $50,000 richer after winning Saturday’s “Fight of the Night” bonus in an exciting win over Billy Ray Goff, Waters talks about how his 6-foot-5 stature shapes his fighting style as a relative newcomer to the UFC and its welterweight division. Jim and Matt then work their way up and down this past Saturday’s main card while listing their key takeaways from the exciting card in St. Louis. Sean Woodson then joins the show for an honest reflection on the pros and cons involved with fighting in front of hometown fans, friends, and family. With a win over a tricky veteran like Alex Caceres in the books, Woodson wraps up his interview by calling out a polarizing featherweight whose style would make for an interesting clash in the Octagon.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jim and Matt are joined by a pair of fighters on this Saturday’s card in St. Louis with lightweight Chase Hooper and light heavyweight Carlos Ulberg as guests on UFC Unfiltered. First, Hooper opens up about the laser focus it’s taken from him to prepare for Viacheslav Borshchev knowing that Chase and his wife are set to become first-time parents in a month’s time. While waiting for Carlos Ulberg to join the show, Jim and Matt take a look at the main and co-main events of this Saturday’s UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Nascimento card before offering up predictions of their own. When Ulberg hops on, Matt gets the New Zealander to explain how a career in combat sports superseded legitimate offers by reality TV executives to star in his country’s version of The Bachelor. Carlos discusses the stakes of Saturday’s fight against 11th-ranked light heavyweight Alonzo Menifield and how a win on the main card can propel him into the top 15. Having saved their predictions for after Ulberg’s interview, Jim and Matt ponder the outcome of one last fight to give fans their third fight pick of the show as a way to wrap up the episode.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered is headlined by none other than Saturday’s UFC 301 headliner himself as UFC men’s flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja calls in the show shortly after the guys chop it up with lightweight veteran Terrance McKinney. Jim and Matt begin the show by unpacking the action from this past weekend’s card in Rio de Janeiro, expressing their appreciation for the masterful performance José Aldo put on in front of his Brazilian people in a victorious return to the Octagon. Terrance McKinney hops on while en route to St. Louis for his fight on this Saturday’s UFC Fight Night card against Esteban Ribovics. McKinney speaks candidly about his preference to remain active on the heels of his two-fight winning streak — especially with his last win in October requiring just 20 seconds of cage time before securing a highlight-reel 1st-round knockout. While waiting for Alexandre Pantoja to call in, Jim and Matt work their way through the rest of the UFC 301 main card with a particular emphasis on Anthony “Lionheart” Smith’s crowd-silencing upset win vs. a previously unbeaten Vitor Petrino. Finally, Pantoja hops on the call to break down his successfully-executed game plan against Steve Erceg in last Saturday’s main event before sharing how different things have become for him now that he has a target on his back as a champion with multiple title defenses.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jim and Matt are joined by a pair of fighters from this Saturday’s UFC 301 card in Brazil that have yet to lose since signing with the UFC in flyweight Steve Erceg and middleweight Caio Borralho. Erceg begins his interview by recounting the funny story of where he was when he found out he’d be getting a title shot against Alexandre Pantoja. Fully aware of the fact that the fans in Rio won’t be on his side, the Australian flyweight explains why he’s embracing the hostility going into the first main event of his career. After making some fight picks between interviews, Caio Borralho returns to the show to share his thoughts on how cool it is to follow up a fight in São Paulo with a fight on Saturday’s UFC 301 card in Rio de Janeiro underneath a legend like José Aldo. Finally, Jim wraps up the show with a bold prediction in hopes of narrowing Matt’s wide lead in their head-to-head fight pick standings.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jim and Matt are joined by two longtime friends of the show in UFC featherweight Aljamain Sterling and Beneil Dariush for today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered. Calling in first is Aljamain Sterling, who expresses his honest thoughts on those downplaying the outcome of his dominant UFC featherweight debut against Calvin Kattar at UFC 300. Understanding that he’s likely not next in line for the 145-pound title shot, Aljo explains why the next best fight to make is him against Brian Ortega for a top featherweight contender spot. Shortly after Sterling’s call ends, the guys invite Beneil Dariush on the show to congratulate the lightweight veteran for being awarded the 2024 Forrest Griffin Community Award — an award that recognizes a UFC athlete for their exceptional volunteer/charity work and the meaningful impact their efforts have on the community. Beneil wraps up his interview by filling the guys in on his state of mind coming off two losses and how he plans to bounce back into the win column. Finally, Matt wraps up the show by “humbly” pointing out how much better he did than Jim picking winners from this past Saturday’s UFC Fight Night: Nicolau vs. Perez card.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by a pair of fighters on this Saturday’s card in women’s flyweight Ariane Lipski and men’s lightweight Austin Hubbard. Riding a three-fight winning streak going into Saturday’s fight against Karine Silva, Lipski outlines how she’s managed to stay even-keeled through the ups and downs of her career — and one tidbit from her favorite book comes as a hilarious shock to Matt! In between interviews, Jim reacts to the breaking news of UFC 304’s return to Manchester, England before Matt eventually takes the conversation to his thoughts on Colby Covington’s stance on fighting Ian Machado Garry. When Austin Hubbard joins the show, he and Matt bond over their respective stints in The Ultimate Fighter house. Hubbard then talks through how he battled adversity to return to the UFC for a second go-around. Finally, the guys end the show with some predictions from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night: Nicolau vs. Perez card, with Jim looking to make up substantial ground in the head-to-head standings.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.