UFC Unfiltered with Jim Norton and Matt Serra

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 Sandhagen returns to break down the stakes of his bantamweight rematch with Mario Bautista more than seven years after submitting him in Bautista’s short-notice UFC debut. “The Sandman” assesses his place in the bantamweight division, reflects on the lessons he has learned from setbacks inside the Octagon, and discusses his entrepreneurial new chapter as the co-owner of a brand-new gym alongside his wrestling coach.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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