UFC Unfiltered with Jim Norton and Matt Serra

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.

Between interviews, Jim and Din break down some of the biggest storylines and matchup dynamics surrounding UFC Freedom 250, including Ilia Topuria’s lightweight title defense against Justin Gaethje and what’s at stake for several of the sport’s biggest names on perhaps the most anticipated card of all-time.

Then, Mauricio Ruffy stops by ahead of the biggest fight of his career against Michael Chandler. The 29-year-old Brazilian explains what a victory over a former title challenger would mean for his future, what he’s expecting from Chandler in their upcoming fight, and why he believes he's ready for the spotlight on one of the UFC's grandest stages.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 the first time.

Between interviews, Jim and Matt break down the biggest takeaways from UFC Fight Night: Muhammad vs. Bonfim, including Gabriel Bonfim’s dominant performance against former champion Belal Muhammad and what the result means for both guys moving forward.

Then, comedian Brad Williams returns to the show to talk about his latest stand-up special, Live on Short Street, before diving into all things UFC. Brad helps Jim and Matt unpack the UFC’s upcoming White House event as the guys each lock in predictions for the stacked Sunday card on the White House lawn.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 Bonfim card. They also dig further into UFC Macau, Matt’s birthday events, gi vs no-gi jiu jitsu, and more.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 in a convo on other takeaways from an event filled with finishes.

Later, undefeated 21-year-old Santiago Luna joins ahead of the toughest test of his career. Luna explains why he's embracing the opportunity to face Bryce Mitchell and what a victory over the longtime ranked contender would mean for his future.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 why he believes his life experience gives him a different perspective than most fighters.

Then, Themba Gorimbo checks in at peace with his decision to retire from MMA at just 35 years old. Gorimbo opens up about embracing the next chapter of his life, his plans to move to Australia and tell his story in new ways, and why he wishes he had met Daniel Cormier earlier in his journey.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.