UFC Unfiltered with Jim Norton and Matt Serra

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.

Between interviews, Jim and Matt lock in their first two picks for Saturday’s UFC 329 card, promising more predictions to come on Wednesday while debating what Conor McGregor’s return could look like against a naturally smaller (but far more active) Max Holloway in the Hawaiian’s welterweight debut.

Then, Mateusz Gamrot checks in ahead of his Aug. 8 main event against surging Australian Quillan Salkilld. Gamrot discusses why he welcomed the matchup with one of the lightweight division’s hottest prospects, reflects on the lessons he’s taken from recent wins and losses, and explains which part of Salkilld’s game he believes fans are overlooking.
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 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.

Then, Mackenzie Dern joins ahead of her first UFC title defense against fellow jiu-jitsu ace Gillian Robertson at UFC 330. Dern reflects on the turnaround that led to her three-fight winning streak and championship victory, explains why the stylistic challenge against Robertson excites her, and reflects on what it meant to help out the next wave of UFC hopefuls on this season of 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.

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.

Then, Shane Collins makes his Unfiltered debut just a week after his inaugural UFC bout. Although Shane just made his first walk to the Octagon, he’s no stranger to the UFC atmosphere after revealing he’s cornered multiple fighters. That experience provided a natural boost in the dominant decision win.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 her first Unfiltered appearance. With her exciting performance on episode 3 of ‘The Ultimate Fighter,’ Din and Matt compare their respective memories of their time on the show now that season 34 is underway. Plus, GiGi dives into her journey from Brazil to Las Vegas.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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, for the first time, Levan Chokheli hops on still radiating excitement from his 23-second KO over Leon Shahbazyan (in his UFC debut no less). The Georgian delves into his origins, hobbies, and living in Vegas compared to Georgia.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.