UFC Unfiltered with Jim Norton and Matt Serra

Jim Norton and Matt Serra recap a loaded UFC 331 card while welcoming two first-time guests to UFC Unfiltered.

First, unbeaten UFC middleweight Damian Pinas joins the show ahead of his upcoming UFC 332 fight against Andrey Pulyaev. Representing both his native Suriname and his adopted home of Aruba, “The Baba Yaga” reflects on how watching Mike Tyson helped spark his late entry into combat sports before assessing what he expects from his next opponent in a few weeks.

Then, Jim and Matt react to the biggest moments from UFC 331, including Josh...

With Matt Serra off for the day, Jim Norton welcomes guest co-host Michael Chiesa to help preview Saturday’s UFC 331 card in Los Angeles.

First, fan-favorite heavyweight Tai Tuivasa joins the show ahead of his prelim matchup against Robelis Despaigne. Tuivasa talks about preparing for a 6-foot-7 striker with massive reach, how he handles long travel and time-zone changes as an Australian fighter, and what it will take to snap his skid and regain momentum on Saturday.

Then, Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson makes his UFC Unfiltered debut ahead of...

Jim Norton and Matt Serra recap Noche UFC while catching up with two fighters fresh off wins in the past two weeks.

First, Ignacio Bahamondes joins the show after a successful move up to welterweight against Muslim Salikhov. Bahamondes talks about snapping his two-fight skid, how his size and activity translated at 170 pounds, and what his presence in the division could do for an already stacked weight class.

While unpacking this past weekend’s Noche UFC results, the guys discuss Jean Silva’s main-event submission win over Jose Miguel Delg...

Jim Norton and Matt Serra get ready for Saturday’s Noche UFC card with a pair of fighters competing in featured spots in Glendale, Arizona.

First, unbeaten featherweight Tommy McMillen makes his UFC Unfiltered debut ahead of his main-card matchup against Marwan Rahiki. “Tommy Gun” talks about the trash talk surrounding his fight, his wild Montana upbringing, fighting since childhood, the role his father played in his journey, and why he sees every walk to the Octagon as a chance to throw a party for the fans.

After some UFC Pa...

Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by a pair of featherweight veterans before making picks for Saturday’s UFC Paris card.

First, Giga Chikadze returns to UFC Unfiltered ahead of his UFC 331 matchup against Joanderson Brito in Los Angeles. The Georgian veteran discusses getting back to full health after pulling out of his previously scheduled fight against Vinicius Oliveira, opening up a new gym in Huntington Beach, and the urgency behind snapping his current skid as he looks to make another run at 38 years old.

After saluting the fi...

Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by two fighters preparing for next weekend’s Noche UFC card in Glendale, Arizona.

First, 15th-ranked featherweight Jose Miguel Delgado joins the show after finding out he’ll be stepping in for Yair Rodriguez to face Jean Silva in the Noche UFC main event. Having fully embraced his role as the underdog in this short-notice opportunity, the 28-year-old Arizona native out of MMA Lab identifies the ways his team has been able to replicate Silva’s fighting style and in-Octagon antics.

Between interv...

Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by two UFC Sacramento winners fresh off statement performances before looking ahead to this Saturday’s UFC Shanghai card.

First, 7th-ranked middleweight Gregory Rodrigues joins the show after collecting his fourth straight win in last Saturday’s main event with a unanimous decision over hometown favorite Anthony Hernandez. Humbly aware of his reputation as a devastating striker, “RoboCop” reflects on how a fighter with jiu-jitsu roots has grown into a complete mixed martial artist under Kill Cliff head trainer Henri Hooft.

A day remo...

Jim Norton and Matt Serra recap UFC Sacramento while catching up with two lightweights on opposite ends of their careers: short-notice UFC newcomer Stan Dorsainvil and recently retired legend Edson Barboza, one of the most electric strikers in UFC history.

First, undefeated lightweight Stan Dorsainvil joins the show after rallying to beat Gauge Young in his short-notice UFC debut. Dorsainvil talks about taking the fight on short notice and battling back from a difficult first round before finding common ground with Matt over their shared love of action movies and video games. But a...

Jim Norton and Matt Serra look ahead to UFC Sacramento with two ranked fighters competing on Saturday’s main card.

First, 6th-ranked middleweight Anthony Hernandez joins ahead of his hometown-adjacent main event against Gregory “RoboCop” Rodrigues. Fighting near his native Dunnigan, California, Hernandez talks about this Saturday’s homecoming, moving camp to Las Vegas to train with Sean Strickland after their fight earlier this year, and his long term vision to build a simpler life for his family.

After previewing Saturday’s card and congratulating the latest DWCS contract winners, J...

Jim Norton and Matt Serra recap UFC 330 while catching up with two fighters fresh off statement wins in Philadelphia.

First, Charles Johnson joins the show after submitting late-replacement opponent Eduardo Chapolin with a third-round Scottish Twister. Johnson discusses the chaos of his opponent change, bouncing back from his own rare submission loss against Asu Almabayev, and what he’s looking to do next.

Jim and Matt react to the biggest UFC 330 storylines, including Islam Makhachev’s record-setting welterweight title defense against Ian Machado Garry, Mackenzie Dern’s first strawweight title...

Jim Norton and Matt Serra get a good look at this weekend’s UFC 330 card with a pair of guests competing on Saturday’s main card.

First, 5th-ranked women’s strawweight Gillian Robertson joins ahead of her title fight against champion Mackenzie Dern. Riding a five-fight winning streak into a battle between jiu-jitsu black belts, Robertson explains the source of her extreme confidence going into her first five-round fight.

The guys then welcome lightweight Esteban Ribovics for his first appearance on UFC Unfiltered. Mixing in some English responses in betwee...

Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by women’s bantamweight Alex Apodaca and women’s flyweight Juliana Miller.

Eager to show what a full fight camp looks like, Apodaca looks two weeks ahead to her Dana White’s Contender Series main event matchup against Bella Mir. The 32-year-old Texas native discusses how casual kickboxing classes as a college student turned into Muay Thai dreams and eventually MMA, and what it’s like balancing her fighting career with a full-time consulting job at a Big Four accounting firm.

Then, Juliana Miller joins fresh off a pivotal...

Jim Norton and Matt Serra invite a pair of fighters with big UFC dreams in middleweight Joe Kropschot and bantamweight Jessie Rosas.

Joining first is LFA middleweight champion Joe Kropschot, who joins ahead of his fight on next Tuesday’s DWCS Season 10 premiere against unbeaten Jon Kunemann. Mentored by Gilbert Melendez, Kropschot discusses how a three-fight losing streak helped him turn the corner as an MMA pro now on the cusp of securing a UFC contract with a win.

After previewing and making picks for Saturday’s UFC Fight Nigh...

Jim Norton and Matt Serra kick off today’s episode with takeaways from a record-setting UFC Belgrade card that delivered 12 finishes — including a UFC-record 10 in the first round.

First, heavyweight Steven Asplund joins ahead of his UFC Fight Night matchup with Guilherme Pat. Asplund discusses the message behind his recent Instagram post about fighting for “every little fat kid that doesn’t feel confident,” staying authentically himself, and what he needs to do to bounce back from his loss to Vitor Petrino in this Saturday’s fight.

The guys then turn th...

Jim Norton and Matt Serra look ahead to Saturday’s UFC Belgrade card while catching up with two fighters coming off statement finishes in Abu Dhabi.

First, 10th-ranked heavyweight Valter Walker joins the show after tying Demian Maia’s UFC record with his fifth straight submission victory. Fresh off a first-round calf slicer win over Thomas Petersen, Walker discusses his historic leg-lock streak, the heavyweight names hovering around the title picture, and what could be next as “The Clean Monster” continues climbing the rankings.

Then, Sam Patterson makes his UFC Unfi...

Jim Norton and Matt Serra kick off today’s episode with a full-fledged recap of Saturday’s UFC Abu Dhabi card, breaking things down from Magomed Ankalaev’s main event win over late-replacement opponent Bogdan Guskov all the way down to the opening fights of the night.

After assessing Ankalaev’s bounce-back performance and Ramazan Temirov’s statement knockout of Steve Erceg in the co-main event, the guys dish out takeaways from the rest of the card — including what to make of heel-hook specialist Valter Walker adding a calf slicer submission to his growing highlight re...

Jim Norton and Matt Serra celebrate the 1,000th episode of UFC Unfiltered with a pair of Hall-of-Fame guests and a look ahead to Saturday’s UFC Fight Night card in Abu Dhabi.

First, Georges St-Pierre joins the show to discuss the upcoming biopic about his life, the art of knowing when to walk away from competition, and what advice he would give fighters like Kamaru Usman and Justin Gaethje as they continue navigating the later stages of their careers.

Shortly after, newly inducted Hall-of-Famer Dominick Cruz makes his long ov...

Jim Norton and Matt Serra kick off today’s episode by unpacking the biggest takeaways from UFC Oklahoma City, including Dricus Du Plessis’ bounce-back win over Kamaru Usman, what that result means for Sean Strickland’s next title defense, and where Usman goes from here.

Then, Chase Hooper joins the show fresh off his first-round submission win over Mitch Ramirez. Hooper walks the guys through his rear-naked choke, opens up about the pressure of entering a fight on back-to-back stoppage losses, and discusses how baby No. 2 being set to arrive at any given moment affect...

With UFC Oklahoma City just days away, Jim Norton and Matt Serra preview Saturday’s card and lock in their picks before catching up with two fighters competing at the event.

First, former middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis joins ahead of his main event clash with Kamaru Usman. Du Plessis discusses his first fight since losing the title to Khamzat Chimaev, what makes Usman dangerous, and why a statement win should put him right back in the thick of the middleweight title picture against Sean Strickland — a champion he has already beaten twice.

Jim Norton and Matt Serra kick off today’s episode by beginning to unpack a UFC 329 card defined by stoppages, comebacks and unexpected turns before welcoming the first of two winners riding the high of first-round knockouts.

Fresh off his win over former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt, Adrian Yañez joins the show to reflect, Yañez talks about the Cody matchup he long envisioned, the calming influence of coach Sayif Saud, and what kind of opponent he hopes to draw next.

Then, Jim and Matt continue their UFC 329 reca...

With UFC 329 just days away, Jim Norton and Matt Serra make their final picks from Saturday’s International Fight Week card while catching up with two ranked fighters competing in Las Vegas.

After picking up Monday’s UFC 329 preview right where they left off, the guys welcome Tracy Cortez ahead of her ranked flyweight matchup with Wang Cong. Cortez details the ups and downs that have accompanied her seismic decision to switch gyms, move to Mexico City, and reconnect with her Mexican roots.

Finally, friend of the show Cory Sand...

Jim Norton and Matt Serra catch up with two fighters preparing for upcoming bouts before turning their attention to International Fight Week, where they make a few picks from Saturday’s UFC 329 card.

First, featherweight Austin Bashi returns for his second appearance on the show ahead of his July 18 matchup against Jose Miguel Delgado. Eager to return after an 11-month layoff, the 24-year-old explains why he’s so confident he’ll get another early finish and shares the story behind his Rocky Balboa-esque appetite for raw eggs and beef liver.

Betw...

Guest co-host Michael Chiesa fills in for Matt in an episode of Unfiltered that invites reigning strawweight champion into the show after discussions about UFC Baku and next weekend’s UFC 329 card.

First, Jim and Chiesa unpack the biggest storylines from UFC Baku, including Rafael Fiziev's much-needed knockout win in front of his home crowd. The conversation then shifts to UFC 329, where Chiesa shares his expectations for Conor McGregor's long-awaited return against Max Holloway and shares his thoughts on whether Max can hold is own in his very first fight at 170 pounds.

After a second successful event in Baku in as many years, Jim and Matt are joined by Brandon Royval and Shane Collins. The boys talk about wins, losses, and life outside the Octagon.

After three years away from the show, perennial flyweight contender Brandon Royval, stops by to discuss his IFW bout against Lone’er Kavanagh. Nearing the end of his longest fight camp, Royval thinks a win could catapult him into title contention once more. Moving away from business talk, the trio play around with assigning fight songs and movie comparisons.

Heading into the Fight Night in Baku, Din Thomas makes a special appearance and the boys meet up with Ode Osbourne and GiGi Canuto to talk the many eras of MMA, UFC, and TUF.

First up, Ode Osbourne returns to the show with his patented humor and optimism to talk about righting ships, the excitement of new fights, niceties throughout the UFC roster, and much more. Ode may not be competing on the IFW card as he intended, but that hasn’t deterred his drive and confidence.

Right after Ode, TUF standout GiGi Canuto makes he...

Coming off an electric Fight Night in Vegas, Jim & Matt are joined by a pair of Saturday night’s winners: Christian Rodriguez and Levan Chokheli.

First in the hot seat, Christian Rodriguez hops on to discuss his round one guillotine finish over Hyder Amil. Coming into Saturday’s fight, the featherweight felt the need to win after coming off two straight losses. Christian credits some major changes in his life like moving to Vegas and a focus on mental health. With this new direction, he feels he’s on the right path to reaching the top.

Then...

Still in the throes of UFC Freedom 250, Jim & Matt are joined by Bia Mesquita and Manel Kape to talk their respective matchups on this Saturday’s Fight Night.

Joining the guys for her inaugural appearance, Bia Mesquita talks about her entrance to the UFC, transitioning from BJJ to MMA, and life in Florida compared to Brazil.

Then, coming back on the show is Manel Kape who brings his signature confidence. While flyweight gold is the ultimate goal, Kape’s immediate test is a long-awaited rematch with Kyoji Horiguchi. Even thou...

Hot off the heels of UFC’s most historic event since the promotion’s inception, Jim, Matt, Michael Aswell Jr., and Stephen Thompson dive into what made UFC Freedom 250 so special.

First, the always-fun featherweight Michael Aswell Jr. joins the show ahead of this Saturday’s matchup against Gaston Bolaños at the Meta APEX. The guys discuss Michael’s game plan, the greatness of Joshua Van, and rehash old stories of training with friends.

Then, Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson hops in to give his first-hand account on the South Lawn bouts al...

Two fighters gearing up for bouts on Sunday’s historic UFC Freedom 250 card join today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered as Ciryl Gane and Mauricio Ruffy call in on an episode featuring Din Thomas as a guest co-host in place of Matt Serra.

First, former interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane joins ahead of his high-stakes showdown against Alex Pereira. Gane discusses the unique challenge of facing one of the UFC’s most feared strikers, reflects on competing for championship gold yet again, and explains his current state of zen going into Sunday’s co-main event.<...

Fresh off Saturday’s card at the Meta APEX, Jim Norton and Matt Serra welcome a victorious bantamweight and one of the UFC’s funniest celebrity fans to today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered.

First, Marcus McGhee joins after returning from an 11-month layoff with a unanimous decision win over John Yannis. The MMA LAB standout reflects on bouncing back from the first UFC loss of his career, explains why he believes he belongs in the bantamweight Top 15, and shares what it meant to have all four of his kids watch him fight live for th...

The streaking Edmen Shahbazyan joins the boys as he preps for his co-main event matchup against 4th ranked Brendan Allen.

Riding a three-fight win streak, the middleweight looks to cause waves in the rankings with a win over Allen, who is riding a win streak of his own. Showing no signs of hesitation, Edmen believes he can jump the pack with a big win on Saturday and spoil Bredan’s return to the Octagon.

After the interview, Matt and Jim make some picks throughout the UFC Fight Night: Muhammad vs...

A pair of fighters gearing up for this Saturday’s UFC Fight Night: Muhammad vs. Bonfim event join Jim and Matt on today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered.

Returning to the pod for the first time in nearly five years to the day, Leavitt talks about how he’s turned things around for his current two-fight winning streak ahead of a scrap against Joanderson Brito.

Between interviews, the conversation shifts to this past weekend’s UFC Macau event, where Matt heaps praise on Angela Hill’s stellar performance before ushering i...

Din Thomas fills in for Jim Norton alongside Matt Serra on an episode of UFC Unfiltered featuring two welterweight veterans with remarkable life stories.

First, Daniel Rodriguez joins ahead of his August main event against Uroš Medić to discuss the experiences that shaped his mindset long before he ever stepped into the Octagon. Rodriguez gets candid about his eight-month stint in a Tijuana jail and explains why the pressure of professional fighting has never rattled him the way real-life survival situations once did. The 39-year-old veteran also reflects on starting MMA at age 25 and wh...

Jim Norton and Matt Serra welcome a pair of UFC 328 winners to today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered.

First, friend of the show Grant Dawson joins fresh off his late third-round submission win over Mateusz Rębecki in Newark. The American Top Team lightweight reflects on the in-fight circumstances that set up his bounce-back stoppage win before getting his usual pop culture fix from Matt.

Then, 6th-ranked welterweight Sean Brady returns after a dominant win over Joaquin Buckley. Brady breaks down how he imposed his grappling, credits the coaches who...

No shortage of topics to discuss on today’s UFC Unfiltered, as Jim Norton and Matt Serra recap an exciting Fight Night card filled with finishes and react to the announcement of Conor McGregor’s return to the Octagon against Max Holloway at UFC 329 on July 11.

But first, Jim and Matt are joined by 4th-ranked middleweight Brendan Allen ahead of his June 6th co-main event against Edmen Shahbazyan at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. Allen explains why he accepted a risky matchup against an unranked opponent despite knowing a loss could jeopardize his plac...

Today's episode of UFC Unfiltered sees Jim Norton and Matt Serra welcome two British contenders with fights on this Saturday's card at the Meta APEX.

First, 7th-ranked featherweight Arnold Allen joins ahead of his first UFC main event assignment of 2026. Allen reflects on the razor-close losses that have defined parts of his recent run, explains why he still believes he beat both Movsar Evloev and Jean Silva, and discusses the challenge of defending his ranking against a surging opponent like Costa.

Then, light heavyweight Modestas Bukauskas checks in after...

Today's show sees Jim Norton and Matt Serra unpack UFC 328 — with Jim offering his perspective from Saturday night as a fan inside the building.

But first, newly ranked #12 lightweight Quillian Salkilld joins after his hometown win at UFC Perth from the week prior against Beneil Dariush, reflecting on the biggest victory of his career and his post-fight callout of Mateusz Gamrot.

Then, Kody Steele checks in after securing his first UFC win with a slick kneebar submission in Perth, discussing his elite grappling background, his close ties with the Ta...

Consider it a caffeinated episode of UFC Unfiltered as Ben “The Bane” Davis brings the energy stepping in alongside Matt Serra for a show that previews Saturday’s UFC 328 card while welcoming two veterans competing on the lineup.

First, 9th-ranked welterweight Joaquin Buckley checks in before his pivotal matchup against Sean Brady. Buckley discusses traveling to Florida to train with former opponent Kamaru Usman and the Kill Cliff FC team following their fight, the adjustments he’s made ahead of another grappling-heavy challenge, and why he approaches every fight like his job depends on it.

Jim Norton and Matt Serra react to the fallout from UFC Perth before welcoming two returning guests to the show.

First, Nikolas Motta checks in following a long recovery from jaw surgery that sidelined him after his last fight. Motta opens up about discovering the injury, the challenges of the recovery process, and what it means to finally be cleared to return to full training.

Then, Malcolm Wellmaker returns for his third appearance on the podcast as he prepares for his May 16 matchup against Juan Diaz. He reflects on what he learned...

Jim Norton and Matt Serra kick off the show by making their picks for this weekend’s UFC Perth card before bringing on two fighters riding serious momentum.

First, undefeated middleweight Baisangur Susurkaev makes his UFC Unfiltered debut. He reflects on his journey from Chechnya to the UFC, discusses his 2-0 start in the promotion, and previews his upcoming fight at UFC 328. Susurkaev also shares what he’s learned training alongside Khamzat Chimaev as he prepares to fight on the same card as his teammate once again.

Then, Francis Mars...