Martin Stapleton (Stapes) returns to the On a Mission Podcast for his third appearance, and once again, this is a conversation that goes far beyond fighting.

Since we last sat down together, Martin has stepped back into the cage, this time on his own terms. A former Royal Marine Commando, a world-level MMA fighter, and an entrepreneur, Martin has lived multiple lives that demand extreme resilience, discipline, and emotional control. This episode captures where those worlds collide.

We talk openly about coming back to fighting in your forties, why age is often used as an excuse rather than a limitation, and what it really means to enjoy the process rather than chasing outcomes. Martin shares the reality of lockdown nearly destroying his business, draining his savings, and forcing him to rebuild from the ground up.

Stapes goes deep into identity, loss, ego, and purpose. Why so many high performers struggle when one chapter ends, how identity can either anchor you or trap you, and how suffering can become a source of strength rather than something to escape.

We dive into emotional regulation, mental health, and the uncomfortable truth that resilience is not about never getting knocked down, but about how quickly you respond when it happens. From combat zones to the octagon to entrepreneurship and fatherhood, Martin explains how the same core principles apply, just in very different environments.

This is an honest and raw conversation about endurance, responsibility, and choosing to keep moving forward when it would be easier to stop.

Key moments include:

✔ Martin’s return to the cage and why he refused to let his career end on someone else’s terms.

✔ How lockdown nearly wiped out his business and the mindset that carried him through rebuilding.

✔ Why suffering is a skill and how it shaped his confidence long before success arrived.

✔ The role of ego in high performance and how it evolves with age and experience.

✔ Identity, purpose, and why losing one label does not mean losing who you are.

✔ Emotional regulation, mental health, and what real resilience looks like under pressure.

✔ Why enjoying the process matters more than outcomes at this stage of life.

Insert connecting annals here.

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This is the On a Mission Podcast.

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Follow Martin Stapleton:

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stapes_50cal/