
UFC Unfiltered with Jim Norton and Matt Serra
1,036 episodes — Page 6 of 21

Kevin Holland, Mateusz Gamrot, UFC 299 picks
EWith UFC 299 fight week upon us, today's episode of UFC Unfiltered sees Jim Norton and Matt Serra bring along a pair of fighters from Saturday's card on to the show in welterweight Kevin Holland and lightweight Mateusz Gamrot! But first, Matt and Jim unpack the action from over the weekend by dishing out their main takeaways from UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Gaziev. Shortly after, friend of the show Kevin Holland makes his eleventh appearance on UFC Unfiltered. Set to take on Michael "Venom" Page in the British southpaw's UFC debut, Holland explains what he's expecting out of the upcoming matchup with a fellow striker like Page and why it should make for an enticing clash on the feet. As Holland catches up with the guys on life outside of the cage, the welterweight veteran wraps up the interview by opening up about the life lessons he's learned from getting into hunting. Once Holland leaves, the guys waste no time by bringing Mateusz Gamrot on for the second and final interview of the episode. Fighting a former champion for the first time in his UFC career, Gamrot talks about how unique it is to have gone from being a Rafael Dos Anjos fan to now being scheduled to fight him on one of the most stacked UFC cards of the year. To end things off, Jim and Matt put a bow on today's show by examining the UFC 299 card in entirety and picking some fights from the card that Jim hopes will be able to help him catch up to Matt in their head-to-head standings of fight picks.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Umar Nurmagomedov, comedian Ginger Billy, UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Gaziev picks
EOn today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Matt Serra and Jim Norton are joined by UFC bantamweight Umar Nurmagomedov and comedian Ginger Billy! Joining the show first is Umar Nurmagomedov, and the unbeaten bantamweight explains why beating Bekzat Almakhan on this Saturday’s main card is the first step to getting back on track to big fights like his previously-scheduled matchup against Cory Sandhagen that was scrapped due to Umar’s shoulder injury. Not too long after, comedian Ginger Billy hops on the show to discuss how he went from his 13-year career as a respiratory therapist to touring around the country as a stand-up comedian — all while explaining how he fell in love with jiu-jitsu in the process. Finally, Jim and Matt end the show by picking the main and co-main events from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Gaziev card.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Uriah Hall, Asim Zaidi, recap of UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Royval 2
EOn today's episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by longtime UFC middleweight contender Uriah Hall and Karate Combat president Asim Zaidi. The guys begin the show by reflecting on the action from over the weekend in Mexico City — breaking down both their accurate and inaccurate picks made in last Wednesday's episode ahead of UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Royval 2 card. Before Uriah Hall joins the show, Jim takes a victory lap for his spot-on prediction of UFC featherweight Brian Ortega submitting Yair Rodriguez in the third round and dishes his thoughts on the three differing scorecards that ultimately gave Brandon Royval the upset victory over former UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno. Now 39 years old, Uriah Hall reflects on his UFC accomplishments and ponders his next career moves — with special consideration given to acting and fighting-related endeavors. Fresh after hearing Uriah express his willingness to revisit a fight against Darren Till, Jim and Matt stir the pot by asking Karate Combat president Asim Zaidi about the viability of that fight — a grudge match that Zaidi acknowledges as a possibility for the exciting promotion. A jiu-jitsu black belt under Royce Gracie, Zaidi reflects on the journey that led him from competing to his present-day roles as both the head coach of his Goat Shed gym and the new face of a promotion looking to bring more prestige to the world of karate.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Brian Ortega, Tarek El Moussa, UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Royval 2 picks
EMatt and Jim are joined by 4th-ranked UFC featherweight Brian Ortega and real-estate TV personality Tarek El Moussa on this episode of UFC Unfiltered. Today’s show is one marked by a series of brief cameos — beginning with Mrs. Serra briefly joining her husband in the show’s intro and shortly thereafter with Ortega hopping on the call alongside coach Rener Gracie. Looking to get back to his winning ways in his first fight since injuring his shoulder 19 months ago, Ortega reflects back on what went right for him in the cage against Yair Rodriguez in his last fight before the untimely injury put an unceremonious end to the contest. A proud Mexican American set to fight in his parents’ home country for the first time in his career, Ortega gets candid about what it means to be in the co-main slot of Saturday’s card in Mexico City against a Mexican-born fighter like Yair Rodriguez — especially now that there are added title implications with Ilia Topuria as the UFC’s newly-crowned featherweight champion. Then, Jim and Matt are joined by real-estate TV star Tarek El Moussa, who begins his interview with a stroll down memory lane of how he became a UFC superfan before explaining the details of his incredible life story captured eloquently in his newly-released book titled: “FLIP YOUR LIFE: How to Find Opportunity in Distress - in Real Estate, Business, and Life”. When Tarek hops off the call, the guys wrap up the show with some picks for the two rematches atop Saturday’s card, Ortega’s fight against Yair Rodriguez in the co-main event and Brandon Moreno’s rematch against Brandon Royval in the main event.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Recapping UFC 298 w/ guest co-host Ray Longo
EOn today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Matt and Jim get a friend of the show as a special guest co-host in Ray Longo to recap the action from Saturday’s UFC 298 card. When Longo hops on the show, the guys jump straight into Serra-Longo’s own Merab Dvalishvili’s statement win over Henry Cejudo and how his nonstop pressure poses trouble for the rest of the UFC bantamweights. After that, the trio discuss the significance of Ilia Topuria’s 2nd-round KO win over long-reigning featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski in the UFC 298 main event. The guys wrap up the show with a recap of the other moments that stuck out to them from Saturday’s exciting card in Anaheim, California.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Geoff Neal, Mackenzie Dern, UFC 298 picks
EIn just three days, UFC 298 will finally be here! So with that in mind, Matt Serra and Jim Norton bring on two exciting fighters from Saturday’s card with welterweight Geoff Neal and women’s strawweight Mackenzie Dern as guests. Making his return to the show for the first time since 2019, Geoff Neal dishes out his thoughts on Ian Machado Garry’s trash talk as the two get closer to their high-stakes showdown on Saturday’s card. While waiting for Mackenzie Dern, Jim and Matt begin to make their picks from the UFC 298 main card — saving the main event and co-main event until after Dern’s interview. When Dern hops on the call, the jiu-jitsu black belt explains the circumstances that led to her accepting a short-notice fight against 3rd-ranked women’s strawweight Amanda Lemos and why she’s grateful for the opportunity to get back on the winning track against the fellow Brazilian. To cap off the show, Jim and Matt call their shots for both the Robert Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa middleweight co-main event and the Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria featherweight title fight in the main event of the evening.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

UFC 298 betting analysis w/ Minty Bets
EWith UFC 298 fight week officially upon us, Matt Serra and Jim Norton invite UFC betting analyst Minty Bets on to UFC Unfiltered for a first-look at the betting lines for this Saturday’s pay-per-view portion of the card. But first, the guys catch up with each other and unpack the action from over the weekend with a breakdown of the fights on Saturday’s UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Pyfer card. Hardly ever mistaken for an NFL fan, Matt listens in as Jim paints the picture of Sunday’s thrilling, high-stakes Super Bowl. When Minty hops on toward the latter half of the show, she explains how she got into sports gambling and how she specifically found a lane in MMA betting analysis before dishing her thoughts on fighters and betting lines that she likes on this Saturday’s UFC 298 card in Anaheim, California.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Gregory Rodrigues, Sam Tripoli, Hermansson vs. Pyfer picks w/ guest co-host Phoenix Carnevale
EThe one and only Phoenix Carnevale fills in for Jim Norton on today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered; a show that features two guests in UFC middleweight Gregory “RoboCop” Rodrigues and comedian Sam Tripoli. Bonding over their love for jiu-jitsu, Rodrigues begins the show by explaining to Matt Serra why an 8-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu national champion has seen most of his recent MMA fights end by knockout. Rodrigues ends the interview by previewing his fight on Saturday’s main card against well-rounded middleweight veteran Brad Tavares. Then, Sam Tripoli hops on for his second-ever appearance on UFC Unfiltered. Already an experienced Krav Maga practitioner himself, the Los Angeles-based comedian goes on to explain that he has rediscovered his passion for jiu-jitsu at his good friend Eddie Bravo’s 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu. Matt ends the interview by getting Tripoli to share his favorite conspiracy theories. Finally, Matt and Phoenix wrap up the show by breaking down and predicting some of the matchups atop Saturday’s UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Pyfer card.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Aljamain Sterling, Themba Gorimbo
EOn today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by a friend of the show in Aljamain Sterling and a fast-rising welterweight in Themba Gorimbo. Keeping himself busy with a pair of grappling matches in the time since losing his bantamweight title to Sean O’Malley, Sterling explains why there’s an added sense of relief in jumping up in weight from 135 pounds to 145 pounds ahead of his featherweight debut against 8th-ranked Calvin Kattar at UFC 300. The guys get Sterling to assess his upcoming matchup against Kattar while also getting the former bantamweight champion’s opinion on what his friend and teammate Merab Dvalishvili has to do to secure a title shot of his own. Once Sterling hops off the show, Matt recaps his wife’s successful MMA fight from over the weekend. Finally, Themba Gorimbo joins the show fresh off his 32-second 1st-round knockout to reflect on how mixed martial arts has guided him on an incredible journey — one that Matt thinks could be made into its own movie.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Molly McCann, Johnny Damon, UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs. Imavov picks
EJim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by women’s strawweight Molly McCann and former two-time World Series champion Johnny Damon for today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered! Set to fight 27-year-old women’s strawweight Diana Belbita in a rematch from 2019, Molly hops on the show to explain how extra focus on improving her jiu-jitsu along with a drop down to 115 pounds has her feeling confident with her ability to put an end to her current two-fight losing streak. The British fighter known as “Meatball” ends the interview by sharing how her love for Italian food resulted in her opening up her own Italian restaurant called ‘Polpetta’ back home in Liverpool. Between interviews, Matt hilariously admits to knowing just one thing and one thing only about the upcoming Super Bowl matchup. Then, Johnny Damon calls in to reflect on how awesome it was that Boston’s electrifying UFC 292 card last Summer was able to be the former Red Sox outfielder’s first experience at a UFC event. Finally, the guys wrap up the show with their picks for some fights atop Saturday’s UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs. Imavov card.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Raquel Pennington on becoming champion, Drew Dober talks Saturday’s co-main vs. Renato Moicano
EOn today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by newly-crowned UFC women’s bantamweight champion Raquel Pennington and 15th-ranked lightweight Drew Dober. Nine days removed from a career-defining win over Mayra Bueno Silva for the vacant women’s bantamweight title, Pennington reflects on how much she has improved in the five years since her first title shot against Amanda Nunes. The latter part of the interview sees the champion assess the rest of the division — including her thoughts on Julianna Peña’s trash-talking ways and whether it’s reasonable to expect UFC newcomer Kayla Harrison to be able to cut down to bantamweight after competing well above the weight limit at both 145 and 155 pounds in the past. Shortly after Pennington’s interview, Drew Dober hops on the show for his fifth time as a guest on UFC Unfiltered. Dober previews his upcoming fight against Renato Moicano and discusses how the two match up going into Saturday night’s co-main event at the UFC APEX 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.

Neil Magny, comedian Paul Smith
EOn today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by 12th-ranked UFC welterweight Neil Magny and comedian Paul Smith! Four days removed from submitting his early bid for comeback of the year, Neil Magny discusses his big win over surging Canadian welterweight Mike Malott in Toronto at UFC 297 and what it means for the 36-year-old contender moving forward on his goal to crack the top ten. Shortly thereafter, the guys are joined by England’s own Paul Smith — who discusses his entry into stand-up comedy before ultimately sharing how his story of training martial arts resulted in him making his professional debut for charity. With no fight card this weekend, Jim and Matt wrap up the show by sharing their thoughts on UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall revealing the fact that Stipe Miocic turned down an offer by the UFC to stage a fight between Aspinall and Miocic at UFC 300.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chris Curtis, UFC 297 takeaways
EBack home after filming with Dana White and Din Thomas in Toronto, Matt Serra returns to UFC Unfiltered for an episode that sees him and Jim Norton dish their UFC 297 takeaways; with middleweight Chris Curtis hopping on at the tail-end of the show! Jim and Matt work from the top of Saturday’s card on down for a full-fledged recap of the card in Toronto — including Neil Magny’s epic comeback, Raquel Pennington’s women’s bantamweight title victory, and Sean Strickland’s close, split-decision loss to Dricus Du Plessis in the main event for the middleweight belt. Fresh off a win over Marc-Andre Barriault on Saturday’s main card, Chris Curtis calls in to discuss what it was like fighting on the same card as his friend and teammate, Sean Strickland. A veteran of the fight game at 36 years old, Curtis sheds light on his recovery process and how soon he feels he can turn around and accept another fight.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mayra Bueno Silva, Arnold Allen, UFC 297 preview w/ guest co-host John Morgan
EWith Matt Serra out and about in Toronto during UFC 297 fight week, John Morgan tags along as a guest co-host for an episode of UFC Unfiltered that sees women’s bantamweight Mayra Bueno Silva and featherweight Arnold Allen call in ahead of their fights on Saturday. Jim and John kick off the show by previewing this Saturday’s highly-anticipated middleweight title fight main event between champion Sean Strickland and challenger Dricus Du Plessis. Then, Mayra Bueno Silva hops on the show ahead of her fight against 2nd-ranked women’s bantamweight Raquel Pennington to iterate why she feels prepared to seize the vacant title on the line in Saturday’s co-main event. When Mayra leaves, the guys discuss some other storylines on Saturday’s card before ultimately bringing on Arnold Allen as the final guest caller of the show. Nine months removed from his loss to Max Holloway, Allen previews his fight against unbeaten Movsar Evloev in the pay-per-view opener, while also dishing out his thoughts on whether Alexander Volkanovski made a wise decision to quickly turn around for a fight at UFC 298 against Ilia Topuria. Finally, Jim and John end the show with a few predictions from the very top of Saturday’s UFC 297 pay-per-view card.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Farid Basharat, Andre Fili, UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2 recap
EOn today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by UFC bantamweight Farid Basharat and featherweight Andre Fili for a show that sees the guys also recap some of the action from Saturday’s action at the APEX. Matt starts off the show by catching up with Jim about the comedian’s recently released episode on The Joe Rogan Experience before Farid Basharat hops on the show. Having improved to 12-0 and 3-0 in the UFC with Saturday’s unanimous decision win over Taylor Lapilus, Basharat talks about his journey from London to the United States, where he says Jake Shields and the Xtreme Couture team have helped him take his skills to a new level. Between guests, Matt and Jim recap the action from Saturday’s card, including what could be in store for light heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev following a win in the main event rematch against Johnny Walker. Finally, Andre Fili joins the show a month removed from his 1st-round knockout win against Lucas Almeida at UFC 296. An engaging and personal conversation ensues in which the featherweight also discusses his entrepreneurial hustles, passion for music, and love for dogs in addition to the state of his MMA career.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jim Miller, Ricky Simon, guest co-host Din Thomas
EWith Jim Norton out for the day, Din Thomas makes his first UFC Unfiltered appearance of 2024 on a show that sees lightweight Jim Miller and bantamweight Ricky Simon call in ahead of their fights on Saturday. The guys waste no time by bringing Jim Miller on the show almost instantly for a chat that sees the 40-year-old veteran reiterate his plans to fight a big name at UFC 300 after Saturday’s fight against Gabriel Benitez. As Jim talks about his passion for hunting, Din and Matt go down the rabbit hole of a hilarious hypothetical scenario in which Matt had to hunt for food instead of scouring for pizza. Almost immediately after Jim Miller leaves the show, Ricky Simon hops on the call to discuss his mindset following a loss to Song Yadong that snapped his five-fight winning streak. Finally, Matt and Din wrap up the show by taking a look at Saturday’s card at the UFC APEX headlined by the Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker rematch at light heavyweight.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merab Dvalishvili, Tim Elliott, UFC 299 & 300 announcements
EOn today’s show, Jim and Matt are joined by Serra-Longo trained UFC bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili and veteran flyweight Tim Elliott! Moments before Merab Dvalishvili hops on the show, Matt shows Jim another side of Merab’s sense of humor by pulling up a hilarious video montage from the bantamweight’s Instagram account. With just over a month until the UFC 298 co-main event sees Merab Dvalishvili take on Henry Cejudo, Merab fills the guys in on his preparation and whether he finds a difference in fighting Cejudo over three or five rounds. Shortly after Merab leaves, flyweight Tim Elliott joins the show to discuss his mindset coming off a short-notice submission win over Sumudaerji in the first round at the beginning of December. Jim and Matt wrap up the episode with their thoughts on a pair of exciting lightweight fight announcements from Dana White — Dustin Poirier vs. Benoît Saint Denis at UFC 299 and Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mario Bautista, McGregor-Chandler at 185?
EIt’s the first UFC Unfiltered episode of 2024! And on today’s show, Jim and Matt are joined by UFC bantamweight Mario Bautista with 10 days until he returns to the cage for a fight against Ricky Simon. Before Mario hops on, Jim and Matt react to Conor McGregor’s announcement and whether they believe his long-discussed fight against Michael Chandler will actually end up taking place at 185 pounds as McGregor stated. Shortly after, Mario Bautista joins the show and reflects on the factors behind his current five-fight winning streak — including his hard-fought win over Da’Mon Blackshear that came after Bautista spent the bulk of his camp preparing for Cody Garbrandt. To wrap up the show, Matt and Jim talk some jiu-jitsu — with Matt filling Jim in on Aljamain Sterling’s grappling match at FURY Pro Grappling 8 and Jim asking Matt a few questions about some moves he’s learning along his newfound jiu-jitsu journey.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Handing out 2023 UFC awards with Kevin Iole, catching up with Michael Irvin
EWith the new year around the corner, Matt and Jim are joined by award-winning combat sports journalist Kevin Iole and the great Michael Irvin for the final episode of the year — one that sees the guys hand out their awards for the best UFC moments of 2023! The guys waste no time bringing on Iole to help dive into several different categories for the best of 2023 — including upset of the year, fight of the year, fighter of the year, submission of the year, and others! Shortly after Iole leaves, Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin makes his triumphant return to UFC Unfiltered with emphatic energy. Matt and Jim find themselves captivated by Irvin’s extremely quotable phrases as they catch up with the former Dallas Cowboys legend in an insightful conversation that touches on how MMA has seen a spike in overall athleticism.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What’s on guest co-host Steve-O’s UFC wish list for 2024?
E’Tis the season for giving! And here at UFC Unfiltered, our Christmas gift to you is this BONUS EPISODE of UFC Unfiltered with the legendary Steve-O serving as a guest co-host alongside Jim and Matt for a show where the guys make their UFC wish lists for 2024! Calling in from his new spot in Tennessee, Steve-O begins the show with his thoughts on UFC 296 and whether Colby Covington crossed the line with his pre-fight comments to Leon Edwards. Having fully embraced the polarizing nature of his uniquely unconventional style of comedy, Steve-O reflects on the success of his ‘Bucket List’ comedy special that is now available at SteveO.com (http://SteveO.com). Finally the guys wrap things up by examining the fights booked for the beginning of 2024 and putting together Christmas wish lists of what else they’d like to see as UFC fans next year.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Catching up w/ Action Bronson, comedian Brad Williams plays matchmaker
EOn today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim Norton and Matt Serra catch up with a friend of the show in Action Bronson before comedian Brad Williams makes his UFC Unfiltered debut for a chat about comedy and fights to make after UFC 296! First to join the show is Action Bronson himself, who makes it a point to remind Jim and Matt that his UFC super-fandom dates back to renting VHS tapes of fights from back in the day. A native New Yorker, Action Bronson talks about what it was like being in the building at Madison Square Garden for the explosive matchup between heavyweights Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich for the interim title. Shortly thereafter, comedian Brad Williams spends his UFC Unfiltered debut talking about his new special 'Starfish' and how his genetic condition shaped him into the thick-skinned comic he is today before wrapping up with a fun conversation about fights he’d like to see next following this past Saturday’s UFC 296 pay-per-view to cap off a great year of fights.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Recapping UFC 296 with guest co-host Belal Muhammad
EWith UFC 296 officially in the books, Matt Serra and Jim Norton use today’s episode to recap all that happened during this past weekend’s final pay-per-view of the 2023 schedule with welterweight contender Belal Muhammad serving as today’s guest co-host. Matt and Jim begin the show by recapping their UFC 296 watch party and diving straight into the main event, where Matt makes it quite known how he feels about the manner in which Colby Covington lost in the main event title fight to UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards. Shortly thereafter, Belal joins in on the conversation to share his perspective as the man who weighed in as last weekend’s emergency backup fighter for the main event. After a full-fledged recap of Saturday’s main card, Belal sparks the cat out of the bag that he has some stand-up material saved in his phone — which piques Matt and Jim’s curiosity and ultimately ends up with Belal sharing a funny portion from his UFC-themed stand-up set.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Brandon Royval, UFC 296 predictions
EOn today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim and Matt are joined by UFC flyweight title challenger Brandon Royval for a prediction-fueled show that breaks down all things UFC 296. The guys waste no time by bringing Royval in right away for a conversation that looks ahead to Saturday’s co-main event flyweight title fight against Alexandre Pantoja. Brandon reflects on the lessons he’s learned from his previous loss to Pantoja before confidently explaining what he believes will be different this time around. Matt and Jim round out the show by examining the top storylines behind Saturday’s matchups and by predicting the outcomes of several fights on the card.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Randy Brown & Vicente Luque talk fighting at UFC 296, recapping last Saturday’s APEX card
EWith UFC 296 fight week in full swing and the last pay-per-view of the year, Jim Norton and Matt Serra use today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered to talk to welterweights Randy Brown and Vicente Luque ahead of their fights on Saturday’s card. As a sign of how stacked UFC 296 is from top to bottom, Randy Brown’s fight against Muslim Salikhov is the FIRST fight of the early prelims — and Randy tells us all about how he thinks the two match up with each other in an interview that also brings out a fun discussion about virtual reality video gaming. With some time between the two interviews, Jim and Matt recap some of the action from over the weekend while discussing some of their key takeaways from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Gutierrez card. Then, Vicente Luque hops on the show for the first time since his huge win against Brazilian legend Rafael Dos Anjos to shed light on his upcoming fight in the pay-per-view opener of the UFC 296 main card. Set to fight a former training partner in Ian Machado Garry, Luque sheds light on what a victory over the unbeaten Irish welterweight could do for his career and whether or not he plans to engage in a war of words with his outspoken opponent.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Anthony Smith talks short-notice co-main, Sean Brady on win vs. Gastelum
ESet to fight in Saturday’s light heavyweight co-main event at the UFC APEX, friend of the show Anthony “Lionheart” Smith returns to UFC Unfiltered for the thirteenth time on an episode that also features Jim Norton and Matt Serra talking to welterweight contender Sean Brady. With 55 professional MMA fights to his name, Smith explains how constantly breaking down film in his side job as a UFC analyst makes him more than comfortable with his decision to fight 11th-ranked light heavyweight Khalil Rountree Jr. on just two weeks' notice. Immediately after Smith’s interview, Jim and Matt are joined by Sean Brady — who shares what it was like to bounce back in the win column against Kelvin Gastelum after taking his first loss a little more than a year ago to Belal Muhammad. Brady wraps up his interview by doubling down on his post-fight callout of Ian Machado Garry, explaining that he’d love to see that fight happen in Atlantic City. Finally, the guys close out the show by plugging Saturday’s UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Gutierrez.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Arman Tsarukyan, Jack Osbourne, recapping UFC Fight Night: Dariush vs. Tsarukyan
EWas Saturday’s card the best non-pay-per-view card of the year? If today’s show is any indication, then absolutely! On today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim Norton and Matt Serra receive a short-notice surprise appearance from lightweight Arman Tsarukyan as he reacts to his big win; with Jack Osbourne calling as the second guest caller towards the end of the show. After putting on a sensational performance in his 1st-round knockout win over Beneil Dariush, Tsarukyan explains the reasons why he believes he deserves to be the next challenger for Islam Makhachev’s lightweight title before listing other non-title fight opponents he’d consider if the UFC’s next 155-pound title fight went in a different direction. Jim and Matt weigh in on the rest of Saturday’s fights, including their thoughts on the unnecessary punishment Bobby Green took from Jalin Turner in the co-main event and the back-to-back 1st-round slam knockout wins we saw from Drakkar Klose and Cody Brundage. Finally, the guys are joined by Jack Osbourne — who shares an exciting update about his jiu-jitsu journey before filling the guys in on his latest endeavor as the host of his “Ghosts and Grit” podcast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kelvin Gastelum, Drakkar Klose, UFC Fight Night: Dariush vs. Tsarukyan predictions
EJust three days remain until one of the most stacked non-PPV cards in UFC history comes to Austin, Texas! So, with that in mind, Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by a pair of fighters from Saturday’s card in former title challenger Kelvin Gastelum and lightweight Drakkar Klose. Making his return to welterweight for the first time in nearly seven years, Kelvin Gastelum joins Unfiltered to talk at length about the lessons he’s learned from previous issues with weight cutting. Confident from the durability he has shown against hard-hitting middleweights, Gastelum explains what he expects from 9th-ranked welterweight Sean Brady in their fight on Saturday before discussing how his significant experience edge over Brady comes with a string of injuries that have changed Gastelum's approach to training camps. Later on, the guys are joined by Drakkar Klose — who shares his excitement over the upcoming birth of his second son before ultimately sharing his thoughts on what it’s like to fight an opponent who shares the same manager as him. Jim and Matt wrap up the episode by making predictions for the majority of Saturday’s card.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Punahele Soriano & Beneil Dariush preview upcoming fights at UFC Austin
EOn today's episode of UFC Unfiltered, Matt Serra and Jim Norton return from a mini-Thanksgiving break with a show that sees UFC middleweight Punahele Soriano and fourth-ranked lightweight Beneil Dariush join as guest callers. First to join the show is Punahele Soriano, who tells the story of how a non-confrontational kid from Hawaii found his way from wrestling into the world of professional MMA through friend and fellow UFC fighter, Dan Ige. Soriano previews his upcoming fight on Saturday's main card against Dustin Stoltzfus before finishing his interview by discussing what he enjoys most about playing pickleball. Jim and Matt are then joined by Beneil Dariush, who headlines Saturday's stacked card in a lightweight fight against 8th-ranked Arman Tsarukyan. Dariush praises Tsarukyan before ultimately breaking down the stylistic matchup between the two and explaining why he has no problem fighting whoever the UFC puts in front of him — even if it's young, up-and-coming fighters that other veterans don’t want to fight.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest co-host Jason Parillo talks UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Craig, Vera's title shot vs. O'Malley
EFeeling rejuvenated by the stem cell treatment he received in Colombia, guest co-host Jason Parillo joins Matt Serra and Jim Norton for a fun episode of UFC Unfiltered as the guys recap Saturday's fights and talk through coach Parillo's process of guiding Marlon “Chito” Vera to victory in next year's scheduled rematch against Sean O'Malley for the UFC bantamweight title. The guys begin their recap of UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Craig by debating whether referee Mike Beltran's premature decision to wave off the fight in Trey Ogden vs. Nikolas Motta merited NSAC to rule Saturday's lightweight bout a no contest. After breaking down more fights and talking through Brendan Allen's impressive submission win over Paul Craig in the middleweight main event, Parillo opens up about his role as a coach. The guys wrap up the show by looking at Marlon “Chito” Vera's growth as a fighter and how the five-round fight against newly-crowned bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley could play out.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chase Hooper, Brendan Allen, should Aspinall fight Jones next?
EOn today's episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by lightweight Chase Hooper and middleweight Brendan Allen ahead of their fights on this Saturday's UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Craig card. Right out of the gate, Jim and Matt find themselves on opposite ends of a quick debate regarding whether or not UFC matchmakers should rethink the previously-planned Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic heavyweight title fight due to Tom Aspinall's scintillating performance last Saturday. Then, Chase Hooper hops on the show to discuss how the friendly interactions he’s had with Jordan Leavitt at the UFC Performance Institute are something he’ll have to look past as the two gear up to fight each other in Saturday's featured bout in Las Vegas. The guys finish up the show by interviewing Brendan Allen ahead of his main event fight atop Saturday's card on ESPN+. The 10th-ranked middleweight breaks down his stylistic matchup with Paul Craig before explaining how fatherhood and seeing a sports psychiatrist have helped him mature as a fighter.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

John Castaneda, Jamahal Hill, UFC 295 takeaways
EFresh off a history-making night at Madison Square Garden, Jim Norton and Matt Serra return for today's episode of UFC Unfiltered to react to UFC 295 as they speak to two guest fighters — bantamweight John Castaneda and injured light heavyweight Jamahal Hill. Matt and Jim open the show with their immediate takeaways from Saturday's fights — including whether or not referee Marc Goddard's decision to stop the fight was unfair to Jiří Procházka. Shortly thereafter, Castaneda hops on the show while enjoying his extended stay in New York following his win on Saturday's prelims. Castaneda opens his interview by assessing his performance against Kyung Ho Kang before ultimately explaining why he's eyeing a fight with Adrian Yanez next. Jim and Matt revisit some of their UFC 295 predictions and break down fights up and down the card before finally being joined by former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill. Eyeing a return from his ruptured Achilles sometime in the second quarter of 2024, Hill provides his thoughts on what he brings to the table in a title fight against newly-crowned light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira — a fight that Dana White has seemingly confirmed will be next for the two of them.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mackenzie Dern, Jared Gordon, UFC 295 picks
EJust days away from this Saturday’s return to Madison Square Garden for UFC 295, Matt and Jim get two fighters from the card to hop on the show in women’s strawweight Mackenzie Dern and lightweight Jared Gordon. Looking to build momentum off her unanimous decision win over Angela Hill in May, Dern explains why Saturday’s fight against Jéssica Andrade is her most important fight yet as Dern discusses the type of pressure that comes with fighting a former champion looking to avoid dropping her fourth straight fight. The guys then shift their eyes to Saturday’s stacked UFC 295 card and dole out some of their picks for the two title fights atop the billing. Then, Queens, New York native Jared Gordon joins the show, reflecting on the perseverance it took to battle through life’s low points to be where he is today — gearing up to fight Mark Madsen in Madison Square Garden; the legendary stadium where his grandfather boxed as a professional back in the day. Finally, the guys finish the show with the rest of their predictions from the main card and a few other notable fights from the prelims.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dennis Buzukja talks fighting at UFC 295, Adam Carolla catches up w/ Jim and Matt
EOn today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by featherweight Dennis Buzukja ahead of his fight on the UFC 295 undercard before catching up with a comedian and podcasting icon in Adam Carolla. Set to fight Jamall Emmers in the very first fight of Saturday’s card, Long Island’s own Dennis Buzukja expresses his excitement to fight in front of friends and family at Madison Square Garden before looking back on his journey to the UFC. As Jim and Matt shift the conversation to how thankful they are to be able to make a living out of their passions, Buzukja reflects on how long drives from his construction job to tough training sessions with the Serra-Longo Fight Team created the opportunity for him to fight full time. Shortly after Buzukja leaves, Adam Carolla hops on the show for his second appearance on UFC Unfiltered. Adam and the guys catch up and talk about a multitude of topics — including how the prevalence of smartphones has changed human behavior.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Caio Borralho, is Leon Edwards’ gym justified for banning Ian Machado Garry?
EJim Norton returns for this Wednesday’s episode of UFC Unfiltered alongside Matt Serra to a show that invites rising Brazilian middleweight Caio Borralho on ahead of his fight on Saturday’s card in São Paulo. Borralho, who is set to fight middleweight Abus Magomedov on Saturday’s UFC Fight Night: Almeida vs. Lewis card, dishes his thoughts on his upcoming fight — unpacking the stylistic matchup before dishing his thoughts on his opponent’s most recent outing against Sean Strickland. On the topic of Strickland, Borralho explains what it was like sparring the newly-crowned UFC middleweight champion as he explains the thought process behind his accurate pre-fight prediction that nailed the outcome of Israel Adesanya’s loss to Strickland at UFC 293. To wrap up the show, Matt and Jim strike a conversation regarding Leon Edwards and whether the UFC welterweight champion’s gym was justified in disallowing Ian Machado Garry to continue training there.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Joe Pyfer on his upbringing & what’s next, coach Plinio Cruz talks Procházka-Pereira w/ guest co-host Phoenix Carnevale
EWith Jim Norton out for the day, friend of the show Phoenix Carnevale steps on up as a guest co-host for Monday’s episode of UFC Unfiltered alongside Matt Serra for chats with coach Plinio Cruz and rising UFC middleweight Joe Pyfer. Matt and Phoenix waste no time by bringing coach Plinio Cruz on to the show to listen on as the former Brazilian heavyweight fighter discusses the brotherly dynamic he and former UFC light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira both have as coaches for former UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira. Seeking to help Pereira become a two-division champion in a second sport, Cruz walks through the elements that make Alex’s upcoming light heavyweight title fight against Jiří Procházka a special matchup to sit atop the UFC 295 card at Madison Square Garden — the very same building where Pereira won both his UFC debut and middleweight title. Then, Pennsylvania’s own Joe Pyfer joins the show to talk about how his rough upbringing shaped him into the fighter and man he is today before dropping a couple of names of top-15 middleweights he’d be interested in fighting to crack into the division’s rankings.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ripple effect of Jon Jones’ injury, catching up with Ben Askren
EOn today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim Norton and Matt Serra react to the monumental news about UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones’ injury with guest caller and former UFC welterweight Ben Askren. Jim and Matt begin the show by immediately diving into the ripple effect of Jon Jones’ torn pectoral tendon injury. With Sergei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall agreeing to fight each other in an interim heavyweight title co-main event at UFC 295, Jim and Matt look into what another delay could mean for former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic as he looks to return to the cage for the first time since March of 2021. Ben Askren joins the show shortly after, filling the guys in on how he balances his post-retirement life as a father and wrestling coach with interest in writing books and investing. While listing all of the things keeping him busy without fighting, Askren names the one and only veteran fighter he’d willingly end his retirement for.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Recapping UFC 294 w/ guest co-host John Morgan
EOn this episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim Norton and Matt Serra recap all things UFC 294 with longtime MMA writer and journalist John Morgan, who joins for the duration of the show as today’s guest co-host. The guys open the show with initial thoughts on how Kamaru Usman looked on short notice in his majority decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev in Saturday’s middleweight co-main event. As a collective group of three, the guys then shift the conversation to Saturday’s cageside doctor, sparking a spirited debate about whether or not Johnny Walker was in a position to keep fighting after Magomed Ankalaev struck him with a knee. After singing the praises of Alexander Volkanovski for his courage to accept a difficult lightweight title fight rematch against Islam Makhachev on short notice, Matt unpacks what went wrong for Volkanovski before the guys chime in with their thoughts on whether Charles Oliveira or Justin Gaethje has a better chance at becoming the UFC’s new 155-pound king.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Arman Tsarukyan, UFC 294 preview & predictions
EWith this Saturday’s UFC 294 pay-per-view just a matter of days away, Jim Norton and Matt Serra use today’s episode to preview and predict winners for the massive fights atop the card — with 8th-ranked lightweight Arman Tsarukyan providing some additional perspective on as a guest caller. Jim and Matt waste no time by diving straight into the main card, unpacking the elements that make both of Saturday’s short-notice fights intriguing. When discussing Alexander Volkanovski’s readiness for a 5-round title fight, the guys assess whether or not the UFC’s 145-pound king has to find a way to finish Islam Makhachev in order to dethrone the lightweight champion. Midway through the show, Arman Tsarukyan hops on the call to look back at his own experience taking a short-notice fight against Makhachev before weighing in on whether Volkanovski has a chance at pulling off the upset. Finally, the guys wrap up the show by making their picks for three fights in particular — the main event, Kamaru Usman’s middleweight co-main event against Khamzat Chimaev, and the light heavyweight featured bout between second-ranked Magomed Ankalaev and seventh-ranked Johnny Walker.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chris Gutierrez, Gerald McCoy, UFC 294’s short-notice changes
EOn today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by 15th-ranked UFC bantamweight Chris Gutierrez and former 6-time NFL Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy! Joining the show first is Chris, who himself is fresh off a unanimous victory over Alatengheili after an injury to Montel Jackson pushed back Gutierrez’s expected fight date exactly one week to this past weekend’s card headlined by Sodiq Yusuff and Edson Barboza. Gutierrez discusses the significance of getting back in the win column after his previous 8-fight unbeaten streak was snapped with a loss in April to Pedro Munhoz. While waiting for Gerald McCoy to hop on the show, Jim and Matt dish out their takeaways from Saturday’s action at the APEX, ever impressed by Gutierrez and his Factory X teammate, Jonathan Martinez among others. Once Gerald McCoy arrives, Jim and Matt waste no time — diving straight into a discussion about Israel Adesanya’s decision to temporarily step away from the sport after 5+ years of incredible activity marked by multiple title reigns in his 16 fights with the UFC thus far. With 11 years of NFL experience to his name, McCoy uses the backdrop of his football playing career as a reference when the topic shifts to the intriguing short-notice changes atop this Saturday’s massive UFC 294 card in Abu Dhabi and the feasibility of Kamaru Usman and Alexander Volkanovski accepting monumental matchups with less than two weeks to prepare.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Adrian Yanez on bouncing back from loss, chopping it up w/ comedian Robert Kelly
EJoining Jim Norton and Matt Serra on today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered is bantamweight Adrian Yanez and comedian Robert Kelly. Looking to bounce back from his first loss inside the UFC, 14th-ranked bantamweight Adrian Yanez gives a sober assessment of what went wrong as he abandoned his game plan in the midst of his one-round firefight against Rob Font. Yanez further explains how the great deal of mutual respect between himself and 13th-ranked bantamweight Jonathan Martinez will have to be put aside briefly as the two prepare to clash on Saturday night in a significant fight for the UFC’s 135-pound division. Shortly thereafter, Jim and Matt are joined by a long-time friend of the show in stand-up comedian Robert Kelly, who himself is no fighter but shows an incredible ability to take Matt Serra’s friendly jabs in stride while throwing some back himself in a hilarious appearance on the show. The guys wrap up the show by taking a look at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night: Yusuff vs. Barboza card.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Drew Dober, coach Eric Nicksick, UFC Fight Night: Dawson vs. Green reactions
EOn today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Matt Serra and Jim Norton are joined by coach Eric Nicksick of Xtreme Couture and UFC lightweight Drew Dober following his knockout win vs. Ricky Glenn over the weekend. Jim and Matt open the show with a brief intro before shortly thereafter bringing coach Nicksick on to talk about the recent success coming from the Xtreme Couture stable. With Jim and Matt incredibly impressed by newly crowned middleweight champion Sean Strickland, coach Nicksick goes on to explain how Matt Serra’s upset win over Georges St-Pierre was periodically brought up during Strickland’s training camp as a way of instilling a sense of belief in the idea that upsetting Israel Adesanya was more than just a possibility. After coach Nicksick leaves the show, Jim and Matt shift their attention to the action that took place over the weekend at the UFC APEX during UFC Fight Night: Dawson vs. Green — just in time for Drew Dober to call in and recap his own fight from that card. Now 4-1 in his last five fights, Dober explains how getting knocked out by Matt Frevola helped him recenter his focus and get back in touch with the skills that helped him become a fan-favorite. With Bobby Green using his one-of-a-kind style to pull off an upset win in Saturday’s main event over 10th-ranked lightweight Grant Dawson in Saturday’s main event, Dober reflects on his own fight with Green — ending the interview with a hilarious story about the back-and-forth trash talk between himself and Green from they fought.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Grant Dawson, Ryan Clark, previewing UFC Fight Night: Dawson vs. Green
EWith UFC Fight Night: Dawson vs. Green being a matter of days away, Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by one half of Saturday's main event as UFC lightweight Grant Dawson joins an episode of UFC Unfiltered that also features NFL-player turned MMA super fan Ryan Clark. At the very beginning of the show, Matt is pleased to find out that Grant Dawson is as big of a Star Wars fan as him — leading to a passionate conversation about the characters and storylines that live inside of the all-time classic franchise's multimedia universe. Before wrapping up his interview, the UFC's 10th-ranked lightweight Dawson shares some of his thoughts on what it means to be headlining his first UFC main event against a tough veteran like Bobby Green who fights with a unique, one-of-a-kind style inside the cage. Shortly after, the guys are joined by retired 13-year NFL veteran Ryan Clark, who begins his conversation with Jim and Matt by explaining how a lifelong football player from Louisiana discovered a passion for consuming martial arts during Chuck Liddell's reign as UFC light heavyweight champion. Clark then goes on to share how he got involved in co-hosting the DC & RC podcast with former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier, a Louisiana native himself. The guys go on to chat about big time fights they’re looking forward to before closing off the show by plugging this Saturday's intriguing UFC Fight Night card 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.

Tom Aspinall, Daniel Zellhuber, looking ahead to Dawson vs. Green
EOn today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Matt Serra welcomes Jim Norton back to the United States for a show that features two guest callers in lightweight Daniel Zellhuber and fourth-ranked UFC heavyweight Tom Aspinall. Shortly after Matt catches Jim up on some things he missed while telling jokes in Toronto, Mexico’s own Daniel Zellhuber makes his UFC Unfiltered debut by giving the guys a glimpse into how being bullied as a kid helped spark an interest in martial arts as a young kid. Reflecting back on his only loss in his UFC debut, Zellhuber explains how losing to an experienced veteran in his very first fight with the UFC has helped shape him into the fighter he is today coming off two straight victories. Almost immediately after Zellhuber’s interview ends, fourth-ranked UFC heavyweight Tom Aspinall hops on the show to assess his standing in the division as a fan-friendly fighter known for taking judges out of the equation with all types of stoppages. Set to travel to Matt Serra’s home state of New York for a role as a guest TV analyst this November for the UFC heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic at UFC 295, Tom uses the end of his interview to inquire about training with Matt while he’s in New York for the week. Matt and Jim make sure to sprinkle in some talk about this Saturday’s UFC Fight Night: Dawson vs. Green event in select moments of the show’s episode before wrapping up the day.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mateusz Gamrot, Kristian Harloff, Pimblett vs. "El Cucuy" w/ guest co-host Din Thomas
EWith Jim Norton out for the day, the one and only Din Thomas steps on up as a guest co-host for Wednesday's episode of UFC Unfiltered alongside Matt Serra for chats with UFC lightweight Mateusz Gamrot and pop culture critic Kristian Harloff! After a brief introduction to the show, Matt and Din waste no time bringing Gamrot on the show to talk to him about last Saturday's TKO win over Rafael Fiziev. The sixth-ranked lightweight offers his best wishes to Fiziev in his recovery before ultimately outlining his plans inside the stacked 155-pound division, including his reasoning for why he wants to fight former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. When Gamrot leaves the show, Din and Matt take a moment to dish their thoughts on the six fighters who earned a UFC contract on Tuesday's Dana White's Contender Series episode before breaking into a discussion about why Tony Ferguson's losing skid is still no reason for unranked Paddy Pimblett to look at 'El Cucuy' as an easy matchup in the young lightweight's first fight back from ankle surgery. Matt turns into a kid in a candy store when pop culture expert and movie/TV critic Kristian Harloff hops on the show to compare notes on recently released shows and movies that Matt and Din have watched.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Miles Johns, coach Mike Valle, UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs. Gamrot recap
EOn today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by UFC bantamweight Miles Johns and VFS Academy’s owner and head coach Mike Valle. Jim and Matt begin the show by recapping some of Saturday’s action from the UFC Apex, with some thoughts on featherweight Bryce Mitchell’s win over Dan Ige and Rafael Fiziev’s knee injury in the lightweight main event that gave Mateusz Gamrot an injury TKO win. Fresh off a win on Saturday’s prelims, Miles Johns joins the show for the first time ever to discuss his close fight with Dan Argueta and how his sobriety has been one of many recent changes to his life that have improved his mindset in between fight camps. While discussing his journey from childhood wrestler to professional mixed martial artist, Miles explains why mental health issues are a matter near and dear to his heart. Shortly after Miles leaves the show, Jim and Matt are joined by VFS Academy’s Mike Valle, who uses his perspective as Belal Muhammad’s coach to dive deeper into the upcoming welterweight title fight between defending champion Leon Edwards and two-time title challenger Colby Covington.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Former TUF champions Bryan Battle & Mohammed Usman preview their fights on Saturday
EThe Ultimate Fighter is well represented on today's episode of UFC Unfiltered, as former TUF champions Bryan Battle and Mohammed Usman join Matt Serra and Jim Norton ahead of their upcoming fights on Saturday. Coming off a 14-second knockout win in front of his hometown fans in Charlotte, UFC welterweight Bryan Battle reflects on his journey to the UFC before ultimately previewing his fight against AJ Fletcher on the main card of Saturday's UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs. Gamrot. UFC heavyweight Mohammed Usman hops on the show shortly thereafter. The former football player-turned-MMA fighter weighs in on the idea of how high-level NFL players could do in the cage before explaining why he relishes the target that's on his back as the younger brother of the legendary Kamaru Usman. Turning his eyes to Saturday's fight against Jake Collier, Usman explains why he believes his opponent's recent string of losses makes Collier a dangerous fighter with nothing to lose going into the fight versus an up-and-comer like himself. Finally, Jim and Matt take a look up and down the bout sheet of UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs. Gamrot with select thoughts on what they're most excited to see during Saturday's fights.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Noche UFC recap, Grasso's 10-8 round, women's flyweight title picture w/ Loopy Godinez
EOn today's episode of UFC Unfiltered, Matt Serra and Jim Norton unpack all the action from Saturday's “Noche UFC” card in Las Vegas for an episode that serves as a victory Monday for women's strawweight Loopy Godinez — today’s guest caller. With all of the talk surrounding the scorecards from Saturday's title fight rematch between women’s flyweight champion Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko, Jim and Matt dish their thoughts on the judges’ verdicts and whether or not an immediate trilogy fight for the belt should be in store. Jim and Matt then shift the dialogue to the highly competitive fight put on in the co-main event between welterweight contenders Jack Della Maddalena and Kevin Holland. After going down the card with their takeaways from other fights, Jim and Matt are finally joined by women's strawweight Loopy Godinez — who reacts to her statement win over Elise Reed before explaining how much it meant to her to get the submission victory in front of thousands of supportive Mexican fans on a special night honoring Mexican Independence Day. Finally, the guys wrap up the show by playing matchmaker for the incredibly deep and talented women's flyweight division — with very specific thoughts on who should be getting the next shot at the title.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tracy Cortez, Carrot Top, Noche UFC preview, Grasso-Shevchenko 2 picks
EOn today's episode of UFC Unfiltered, Matt Serra and Jim Norton are joined by legendary comedian Carrot Top and UFC women's flyweight contender Tracy Cortez ahead of her fight on Saturday’s “Noche UFC” card in Las Vegas. Before any guests make their way to the show, Matt and Jim dish their thoughts on whether women's flyweight champion Alexa Grasso can win her second straight fight against former champion Valentina Shevchenko in Saturday's main event title fight rematch at T-Mobile Arena. Shortly after giving their picks for the welterweight co-main event between Kevin Holland and Jack Della Maddalena, Jim and Matt are joined by Carrot Top. Thirty-two years removed from his first big break as a comic, Carrot Top reflects on his journey that began at college campuses and has since led him to his current residency in Las Vegas for his unique style of prop comedy. Finally, the guys are joined by 14th-ranked women’s flyweight Tracy Cortez, who candidly opens up about how nice it is to get back into the cage after a 16-month layoff induced by an unfortunate string of injuries. A proud daughter of two Mexican parents who immigrated to the United States, Cortez explains why she feels a tremendous amount of pride representing her roots on Saturday's special card for Mexican Independence Day and would love nothing more than sharing the cage with Alexa Grasso in Mexico sometime in the future.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Strickland's huge upset, Adesanya's next move, UFC 293 recap w/ guest co-host Sayif Saud
EYes… that REALLY just happened! And if there is one thing we know, it's that the great Matt Serra knows a thing or two about dethroning a champion in a MAJOR upset! On today's episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by MMA coaching mastermind Sayif Saud of Fortis MMA — who helps the guys unpack just how newly-crowned UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland was able to shock the world by dethroning Israel Adesanya at UFC 293. With Strickland's win opening up a multitude of possibilities for the UFC's red-hot middleweight division, the guys mull over the idea of an immediate rematch while discussing whether Adesanya's high fight activity rate plays a factor in what the former champion will do next. Later on, Matt takes us from the top of the card on down with his favorite takeaways from the other fights that happened on this exciting pay-per-view card in Sydney. The guys wrap up the show by circling back to the stakes of Strickland's win and where it stacks up with the greatest championship upsets in UFC history.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chris Curtis talks UFC 293, Strickland’s upset potential vs. Adesanya
EWith this weekend’s UFC 293 pay-per-view card rapidly approaching, Matt Serra and Jim Norton use today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered to talk to middleweight contender Chris Curtis — who uses his unique perspective as Sean Strickland’s close friend to discuss the strategies his teammate can use to dethrone middleweight champion Israel Adesanya for the upset victory. Matt and Jim begin the show by looking at this weekend’s fight card in Sydney before inviting Chris Curtis on for more insight into Sean Strickland’s preparation. When Curtis hops on the show, he begins by providing an update on the rib injury that forced him to pull out of his scheduled fight on the “Noche UFC” event later this month at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. After a funny conversation about why Chris Curtis has a fear of stairs, Jim and Matt then shift the dialogue to the unlikely friendship between Sean and Chris before ultimately examining which areas of Strickland’s game will be needed to do the unthinkable in front of what figures to be an incredibly pro-Adesanya crowd in Australia.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.