This week, we suit up and sit down with professional MMA fighter and Memphis legend Kevin “Sweet Pea” Pease. From fighting in sold-out venues to shadowboxing in Crunch Fitness saunas, Kevin opens up about his journey from folkstyle wrestling to full-blown cage combat. We talk mental resilience, getting sponsored, raising a family while chasing glory, and why he chose Sweet Pea over Platypus. Oh—and yes, we get into anime, ancient aliens, and why his mom is the real MVP. ⸻ Follow Kevin Pease: https://www.instagram.com/sweetpeamma... ⸻ Intro/outro music credit: Steven Cromwell Instagram: / take_it_or_steve_it TikTok: / thebig_mountain ⸻ Timestamps: 0:00 – Intro: Monetization milestone + YouTube “Muppet” call 1:30 – “Severance” deep dive and corporate hell 2:50 – Adam Sandler vs. Ben Stiller: Who would you rather be? 4:50 – Kevin Pease joins: Who is Sweet Pea? What would be on his tombstone? 6:15 – On fatherhood, manifesting two sons, and Four Loko chaos 7:00 – From wrestler to MMA: starting with local Memphis fights 9:00 – Minglewood Hall, Dana White sightings & early inspiration 10:30 – How MMA grounded Kevin post-college 13:00 – The infamous Costco opponent 15:00 – On fight prep, fear, and channeling terror into aggression 17:00 – Walkout music and entering “the trick box” 18:50 – Fighting at home vs. hostile territories like Jersey 20:00 – On training camps, injuries, and pushing through setbacks 21:40 – CTE, fighter lifespan & long-term mindset 23:00 – What drives fight selection? Blood, belts, or bills? 24:30 – Favorite finishes, fighting on Native land 26:30 – Explaining MMA leagues: UFC, PFL, and the monopoly 29:00 – How an average person can get into MMA 30:30 – Kevin’s coaching philosophy & Adam Shaw shoutout 33:10 – Sweet Pea’s sponsorships & the trunk design dream 34:30 – Fighting vs. family: striking the balance 36:00 – Mental discipline, trauma, and what MMA really teaches 38:30 – On fear of gassing out mid-fight 40:20 – Sweet Pea’s fight weight vs. walkaround weight 42:00 – On growth: how MMA transformed him 45:00 – Fighting styles & correcting “Greco” to “folkstyle” 46:30 – Ad read break: WCWS Law Firm 47:00 – On smelly sparring partners & gym etiquette 49:00 – Favorite movie: Interstellar (plus a Goggins/McBride detour) 51:00 – Anime shoutouts: Studio Ghibli, Attack on Titan, Fullmetal 52:50 – Wild Severance viewing setups (AC broken, Lamar Ave grind) 54:00 – Bookset breakdown, podcast set design, and MCAT nostalgia 55:30 – Catholic roots, Jesus, and grounding through faith 57:30 – Fighting vs. time: choosing fights that matter 59:30 – Fighting with death in mind: giving it your all 1:03:00 – The octagon beneath the pyramid? Ancient aliens talk 1:06:00 – Every language understands a punch 1:07:20 – Final plugs for Sweet Pea’s coaching & socials 1:09:00 – Shoutouts, haters in the comments & burner accounts 1:10:45 – Final question: what would you tell your younger self? 1:12:00 – Training with Greg Jones, pushing limits 1:13:00 – Biggest impact: his mom 1:14:00 – Outro: plugs, thanks, and saving the audio ⸻ Follow us on all our Socials: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... Instagram: / luckylotusfmpod / luckylotusfm_bp / bkastle / fireinmyjimney Twitter: https://x.com/luckylotusfm TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luckylotusfm?... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7f5XZd3... Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/LuckyLotusF...
