Parallel Lives with Damian Knight

In the UFC, your success can be judged by just a few minutes inside the Octagon.

One viral knockout. One win. One loss. And suddenly, the world has an opinion on who you are.

But Kai Kamaka III sees the bigger picture.

Beyond the lights, the cameras, and the fight results, he has a beautiful family, a loving wife, and kids who don't measure his worth by his record.

Winning is great. Losing hurts. But neither defines the life he's built.

Because sometimes, the biggest victories in life have nothing to do with the scoreboard.

🎙️ Parallel Lives with Damian Knight | EP007

Follow Kai's journey on Instagram @kaiboykamaka

What does it take to fight your way back to the highest level of mixed martial arts?

In Episode 007 of Parallel Lives, Damian Knight sits down with UFC fighter Kai Kamaka III to discuss a life built around fighting, the challenges of professional MMA, and the determination required to make it back to the UFC.

Growing up in a family deeply rooted in combat sports, Kai was introduced to fighting at an early age. But being raised around the sport and building a career in it are two very different things.

From his early days in wrestling to competing professionally, Kai shares his journey through the UFC, Bellator, and PFL before ultimately earning his way back to the UFC.

The conversation goes beyond the cage, exploring the sacrifices that come with being a professional fighter, balancing family and career, preparing for fights, and navigating the emotional highs of victory and lows of defeat.

With another fight remaining on his UFC contract, Kai's story is still being written.

This episode is about resilience, family, opportunity, and the willingness to keep fighting when the path forward isn't guaranteed.

Because sometimes the biggest fight isn't the one inside the cage. It's the one that gets you back there.

🎙️ Parallel Lives with Damian Knight — We're all one decision away from becoming someone completely different.

Follow Kai's journey on instagram @kaiboikamaka

In this episode of Parallel Lives, Damian sits down with Andrew Anderson, Army veteran, entrepreneur, and founder of OVR.OUT.

Andrew’s story is one of reinvention. From immigrating to the United States, to serving in the military, to navigating life after the uniform and building a brand rooted in resilience, his path has been shaped by the decision to keep moving forward—even when the next step wasn’t obvious.

Damian and Andrew talk about military service, transition, entrepreneurship, identity, failure, and the realities of building something of your own. They also dig into the lessons that only come from experience: knowing when to adapt, being willing to ask for help, and refusing to let one chapter of your life define the rest of it.

It’s a conversation about what happens when the plan changes—and the person you become because of it.

Because sometimes the biggest transitions in life aren’t endings. They’re an opportunity to build something entirely new.

We’re all one decision away from becoming someone completely different. Welcome to Parallel Lives.

Follow Andrew and OVR Out on Instagram @Ovr.Out

In Episode 005 of Parallel Lives, Damian sits down with Marc Chabot, a retired Marine Corps Sergeant Major, husband, father, leader, and someone Damian has long respected as both a mentor and a leader in his own life.

This conversation goes beyond a military career. It’s about what service actually asks of you, and the people around you.

Marc reflects on a lifetime of leadership and service, the sacrifices made along the way, and the role his family played through every chapter. They talk about the weight of responsibility, balancing commitment to the mission with commitment at home, and how years of leading Marines shaped the husband, father, and man he became.

They also explore the decisions that change the direction of our lives, the lessons that stay with us long after a uniform comes off, and what it means to continue serving when that chapter is over.

For Damian, this one is personal. Marc isn't simply a guest with an impressive career, he's someone whose leadership, perspective, and example have had a meaningful impact on his own life.

Service. Family. Sacrifice. Leadership.

Different chapters. Different decisions. One life shaped by all of them.

We’re all one decision away from becoming someone completely different.

Welcome to Parallel Lives.

hear more from Marc and the Left Right Left Podcast :

https://www.youtube.com/@LeftRightLeftKeepMovin

What happens when the path from athlete to Air Force officer to scientist to neurosurgeon still isn’t the end of the story?

In this episode of Parallel Lives, Damian sits down with Dr. Javier Figueroa, MD, PhD, a former Air Force Academy football and rugby player, military officer, research scientist, neurosurgeon, entrepreneur, and father.

Javier’s path has been anything but linear. After graduating from the United States Air Force Academy, he spent five years serving in the Air Force, including work as a research scientist studying biological threats such as ricin. When his military service ended, he went back to school, eventually earning both his MD and PhD before completing the years of residency and fellowship training required to become a neurosurgeon.

But this conversation goes beyond the credentials.

Damian and Javier talk about the transitions between each version of his life, the discipline required to repeatedly become a beginner again, balancing ambition with fatherhood, and what drives someone to keep pursuing difficult things even after they have already achieved what most people would consider success.

They also discuss Javier’s work as a neurosurgeon and neuroscientist and the creation of TriNeuro, the brain and spine wellness company he founded after years of research and treating patients.

From the football field, to military service, to the laboratory, to the operating room, Javier’s story is a reminder that choosing one path doesn’t mean you have to stay on it forever.

We’re all one decision away from becoming someone completely different.

Welcome to Parallel Lives.

Gary Peebles had a plan: become a Marine Corps fighter pilot.

There was just one problem.. he was too big for the cockpit.

What could have been the end of one dream became the beginning of a completely different life.

In Episode 3 of Parallel Lives, I sit down with professional stuntman and actor Gary Peebles to talk about how martial arts, an unexpected start performing live stunts at Six Flags, and a willingness to keep moving when the original plan disappeared eventually led him to Hollywood.

Gary has gone on to work on some of the biggest productions in the world, including Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Black Panther, Black Adam, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and more, including doubling for Dave Bautista as Drax.

But this episode isn't really about Marvel movies or stunt credits.

It's about what happens when the life you planned isn't available to you anymore.

Sometimes the thing that feels like it closed the door on your dream is actually forcing you toward the life you were supposed to build.

There was blueprint. Just the willingness to pivot, keep moving, and see where the next opportunity led.

Welcome to Episode 3 of Parallel Lives.

In this episode of Parallel Lives, Damian sits down with defensive back Rob Carter Jr. to talk about the unconventional road that ultimately led him to the NFL.

From UVA Wise and Robert Morris to a viral interception, an NFL rookie minicamp, and eventually the CFL, Rob’s path was anything but guaranteed. He shares what it was like watching an NFL opportunity come and go, making the decision to continue his career in Canada with the BC Lions, and ultimately getting the call that brought him back across the border to the Indianapolis Colts.

The conversation explores perseverance, betting on yourself when the traditional path disappears, and what happens when an opportunity you thought you missed comes back around.

Rob Carter Jr.’s story is proof that sometimes the road to where you’re supposed to be looks nothing like the one you originally planned.

In the first episode of Parallel Lives, Damian sits down with Francis Santore to explore a path that has taken him from the Marine Corps and Scout Sniper community to entrepreneurship and medical school.

Francis shares the decisions that shaped his life, the lessons he carried with him from the military, and what it took to continue evolving after leaving that world behind. The conversation explores resilience, identity, leadership, and the challenge of taking experiences from one chapter of life and using them to build the next.

From Marine Scout Sniper to entrepreneur to future physician, Francis's story is a reminder that the path you're on doesn't have to define where you end up.