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This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von

#620 - Keith Peterson

with Keith Peterson

Published October 26, 2025
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About This Episode

The host interviews MMA referee and longtime diesel mechanic Keith Peterson about his no-nonsense approach to officiating, his path from amateur fighter to top-level referee, and his life in New York hardcore music. Peterson describes his family life, long marriage, parenting three kids who are into music, wrestling, and skateboarding, and his commitment to coaching girls' wrestling alongside his daughter. He also discusses health changes, the loss of his brother, and the discipline and safety mindset required to referee high-stakes fights.

Topics Covered

Mixed martial arts Wrestling Fatherhood Relationships Work ethic Exercise and weight loss Grief and loss Personal narrative

Disclaimer: We provide independent summaries of podcasts and are not affiliated with or endorsed in any way by any podcast or creator. All podcast names and content are the property of their respective owners. The views and opinions expressed within the podcasts belong solely to the original hosts and guests and do not reflect the views or positions of Summapod.

Quick Takeaways

  • Keith Peterson's "No Nonsense" nickname reflects his straightforward, consistent approach to refereeing and life, emphasizing safety and fairness above emotion or external pressure.
  • He transitioned from being an amateur MMA and kickboxing fighter into refereeing after mentors encouraged him, eventually working his first UFC event at UFC 101 in Philadelphia.
  • Outside of officiating, Peterson has spent decades in New York's hardcore music scene as a vocalist, met his wife at a Hatebreed show, and remains deeply involved in that culture through his children.
  • He prioritizes family life and coaching, working full-time as a diesel mechanic while also coaching girls' high school wrestling and co-running a girls' wrestling club with his daughter.
  • A health scare involving appendix surgery complications and kidney stones pushed him to improve his lifestyle, lose weight through better eating and daily running, and take his health more seriously.
  • Peterson views wrestling as one of the best sports for building character, resilience, and life skills, and sees women's wrestling and women's MMA rapidly growing in level and competitiveness.
  • He has officiated thousands of fights without experiencing a fatality, and he continually studies his own work on video to learn from mistakes and refine his decision-making.
  • Despite the spectacle and crowd energy of major events, Peterson focuses on a fixed set of criteria in the cage so that fighters can compete hard yet leave healthy enough to live their lives beyond fighting.

Podcast Notes

Introduction and the "No Nonsense" persona

Origin of the "No Nonsense" nickname

Keith explains that his no-nonsense reputation reflects his straightforward approach to things.[1:58]
• He says most things he does are very straightforward and "no nonsense."
The nickname was given by commentator John Anik.[1:35]
• Anik used it on air a few years ago, it stuck, and Keith feels it fits him.
Keith still allows some "nonsense" in life.[2:05]
• He jokes there is a time and place for nonsense, maybe during holidays or birthdays.

Early life and hometown

Keith is from Long Island, New York.[3:03]
• He originally lived in East Meadow in Nassau County and now lives in Islip, New York.

Childhood nickname

As a kid his nickname was "Froggy" because of his voice.[2:32]
• It came from the Little Rascals character with a raspy voice; Keith says he has always had this voice.

Path from fighter to referee

Amateur fighting background

Keith fought as an amateur for about three years.[3:18]
• He competed in amateur MMA, Muay Thai, and kickboxing fights.
Balancing life made fighting hard to continue.[3:28]
• He says there was a lot going on and it was getting harder to put the time in for training and fighting.

Introduction to officiating

Someone suggested he judge or work as an inspector at amateur fights.[3:33]
• He liked the idea because it would keep him around fights even if he wasn't competing.
He took a course in New Jersey and met referee Donny Caroline.[3:48]
• Donny had refereed many of Keith's own kickboxing and MMA fights.
Donny Caroline encouraged Keith to referee.[4:02]
• Donny told him repeatedly that he would be really good at reffing and supported him in his early amateur refereeing.

Early refereeing experiences and learning curve

Keith compares refereeing development to brain surgery with a critical difference.[4:31]
• He says you're not as good in the beginning as you'll be 10 years later, but unlike brain surgery, "no one could die" if you do it right by stopping fights in time.
He recalls an early amateur fight where he realized he was the one responsible for stopping it.[5:18]
• The fight was even, then one fighter started losing badly; Keith thought "this fight should be stopped" and suddenly realized, "oh, no, that's me," then stepped in and stopped it.
Transitioning from fighter mindset to referee mindset[5:44]
• He says as a fighter he often disagreed with referees, but as a ref he must prioritize fighters' health, lives, and livelihoods over their desire to continue.
• He notes fighters are on a different journey that day than he is; he must stay detached from their emotions.

Fighter requests and referee criteria

Some fighters tell him before bouts not to stop the fight early.[6:15]
• He lets them talk but does not change his criteria; he cannot alter his standards on a per-fighter basis.
He observes a pattern where fighters who beg "don't stop it" often end up getting stopped or tapping.[6:49]
• He notes that some fighters say they are willing to die, but others are quiet and just come to get the job done.
Keith's in-cage communication and safety focus[7:22]
• He will tell fighters "you have to move" when under attack; if they are defending and can move, it remains a fight.
• His main priority is fighters' health so they can go home, be with their families, and fight or live normally afterwards.
Emotion management and mistakes[8:07]
• He emphasizes trying to keep his own emotions aside despite the highly emotional environment involving fighters, corners, and crowd.
• He acknowledges everyone makes mistakes, including him, but says they are not automatically acceptable; you must admit them, learn, and move on.

Early stoppage vs late stoppage reflections

Keith worries more about being late than being early.[8:57]
• He says he has had many instances where he felt he was late and is grateful not to have one where he felt dangerously late, which would contradict his purpose.
Video review helps him understand what he saw in real time.[9:17]
• He watches multiple camera angles of his fights afterward and usually only one angle matches what he actually saw from his position.

Music, hardcore culture, and meeting his wife

Bands and musical background

Keith has been in two hardcore bands: GFY and Loser Sometimes Win.[10:41]
• GFY started in 1998, and Loser Sometimes Win has also been around a long time; both are New York hardcore bands.
GFY stands for "Go Fuck Yourself."[10:51]
• Keith notes he was younger when they chose that name.
Keith is the singer, and his voice suits hardcore.[11:27]
• He grew up liking heavy metal bands like Black Sabbath, then looked for more "street" music and found hardcore and punk, which he fell in love with.

Playing shows and song example

They play a clip of his band "Loser Sometimes Win" and react to the energy.[12:03]
• Keith describes using the "death march" as an intro because he hit a Halloween sound button that played it and then had his band replicate it.

Meeting his wife in the hardcore scene

Keith met his wife at a Hatebreed show.[13:57]
• They met in the mosh pit at a Hatebreed concert and started their relationship from there.
His wife liked ska music and got into hardcore through the mixed bills on Long Island.[15:10]
• On Long Island, hardcore and ska bands often played on the same shows, and she became a big fan.

CBGB and New York hardcore venues

Keith went to CBGB frequently and later played there with both bands.[15:51]
• He recalls seeing New York bands like Sick of It All and Agnostic Front there, and says Sundays meant taking the train to shows at that club and others.

Marriage, parenting, and family life

Long-term marriage

Keith has been married for 23 years.[21:24]
• He describes marriage and kids as his number one thing and says it has been awesome, though not easy.
His wife's background and strengths[23:13]
• She is Argentinian and Italian; he credits her with keeping things going and says what she's good at helps him more than the reverse.

Becoming a father and parenting goals

Holding his first son made the responsibility feel "real deal."[24:20]
• He realized the baby depended on him for everything, which pushed him to "get it together" and do things right.
He has three kids and wants them to be good people without having to "try" at it.[24:47]
• He contrasts how adults like him consciously try to do the right thing, whereas his ideal is kids who naturally do the right thing.

Children's interests and paths

His 23-year-old son is deeply involved in the hardcore scene.[25:43]
• When his oldest son was young, Keith was still very active in bands and shows, so hardcore music became central to that child's environment.
His 19-year-old daughter is focused on wrestling.[26:00]
• By the time she was older, the family's focus had shifted to wrestling through her older brother, so that became her main thing.
His 14-year-old son is into wrestling and skateboarding.[26:13]
• Keith mentions his youngest is pretty good at skateboarding.
A family photo is shown and Keith expresses pride.[26:24]
• He identifies his kids in the picture, including his son wearing a Rancid shirt.

Health, weight loss, and lifestyle choices

Weight gain and lifestyle change

Keith lost a significant amount of weight recently.[26:47]
• He had gotten up to about 186 pounds, which he felt was a lot for his frame.
He changed his diet and started running every day.[26:56]
• He says he "stopped eating horribly" and added daily running instead of relying on any peptides.
Seeing others' health problems motivated him.[28:12]
• He saw people around him pass away or suffer from not being healthy and decided he wanted to give himself the best chance by meeting God "halfway."

Substance use and sports background

Keith drank alcohol in the past but not anymore, and he never really tried drugs.[29:06]
• He wrestled through school and says he was wild enough without drugs, so he was never attracted to them.

Tattoos and image

Keith has sleeves and his back almost done, plus hand and neck tattoos he got around age 22.[30:10]
• He notes that with tattoos and his look, people might assume he uses drugs, but for him and many in the music scene, it's just who they are.
He describes himself as someone who minds his own business and prefers to be left alone.[31:00]
• He says he treats people the way he wants to be treated, is nice to kids, older people, and animals, and then keeps moving on.

Amusement rides, concerts, and early influences

Gravitron memories

Keith loved the Gravitron ride and tells a specific story.[31:28]
• On April 19, 1985, for his ninth birthday at Adventureland, he and his brother rode the Gravitron around 80 times while Van Halen's "Why Can't This Be Love" played repeatedly.
• He remembers purposely breaking every rule on each ride cycle, like kicking off his shoe and having it fly back at him.

First concerts and brotherly bond

His first concert was Poison, followed by Mötley Crüe on the Dr. Feelgood tour.[35:26]
• He went with his older brother, who later saw Tommy Lee play drums on a ceiling-rigged setup during that tour.
He and his brother were very close despite being opposites.[37:33]
• His brother did drama and comedy while Keith did sports; his brother initially listened to Culture Club and Tears for Fears while Keith liked metal.

Losing his brother and reflections on mortality

Brother's illness and passing

Keith's brother Rob passed away about a year and a half before the interview at age 50.[35:59]
• Rob had tumors that either weren't known about or weren't treated; he went to the hospital on a Tuesday and died on Friday.
Keith was with him at the hospital the whole time.[36:30]
• He describes the room as full of people his brother loved and who loved him, including Keith's kids who were like Rob's kids.

Handling grief as well as possible

Keith focuses on how you handle inevitable bad moments in life.[36:56]
• He believes that particular moment was handled as perfectly as it could be, given the circumstances.
He recalls his nervous brother appearing calm at the end.[37:33]
• He contrasts this with his expectation that he himself will probably be crying a lot when his own time comes.

Brother's nervousness vs Keith's demeanor

As kids, Keith was fearless and his brother was very nervous.[37:33]
• He describes running across the street while his brother screamed, illustrating how their anxieties differed but balanced each other.

A title fight memory with his brother

Keith describes defending an amateur title in Atlantic City where his brother's nervousness was obvious.[40:13]
• Rob was sweating and staring at the cage; when Keith pointed out the ring girls, Rob joked "I'm not that nervous" and said of course he had seen them.
• Keith won the fight and remembers it as a great night they enjoyed together.

Fighting career details and life connections

Amateur belts and nickname

Keith held a few amateur titles.[41:02]
• He mentions defending one title in the story with his brother and says he had multiple belts at the amateur level.
He briefly used the nickname "The Spartan" as a fighter.[41:07]
• The name came from watching the movie "300" and someone comparing the character's life of fighting, being with his wife, and kids to Keith's life.

Trilogy with Jose Villanueva

Keith fought Jose Villanueva three times.[41:25]
• Jose ultimately won two of the three fights; Keith moved up in weight on short notice for one of them.
In the first fight shown, Keith was submitted after a missed spinning backfist and a slam.[42:36]
• He notes that if the backfist had landed, Jose might still be asleep, but instead he missed, was slammed on his head, then submitted.
He later refereed Jose's pro fights.[43:17]
• He also points out that Donny Caroline, who helped him become a referee, is seen refereeing that early fight in the video.

Seeing life's connections over time

Keith reflects on how past and present connect if you stay healthy and mentally steady.[43:49]
• He cites the example of Donny refereeing his fights, later mentoring him as a ref, and Keith eventually refereeing fighters he once competed against.

Education, work as a diesel mechanic, and unions

School years and attitude toward authority

Keith didn't do well in the first couple of years of high school.[44:02]
• He attributes it partly to a punk rock attitude and not listening to authority.
His family moved a lot, and he attended several high schools.[44:39]
• Despite the disruptions, he graduated high school and went to college for a year.

Becoming a diesel mechanic

After deciding college wasn't for him, his dad pushed him to get a good job.[45:32]
• He had been roofing and likely broke a rib, leading his dad to insist he find work with insurance and pay if he got hurt.
He got a job with the town and has been a diesel mechanic there for 28 years.[44:52]
• He started in the highway department mowing lawns and cleaning along the highway for about nine months before moving into the mechanic shop.

Union membership

Keith works a union job and says it's awesome.[47:35]
• He notes that when he started they were Teamsters, which he thought was cool, and that the union job enables him to pursue refereeing and coaching.

Passing on practical skills to his kids

Keith has taught his kids basic mechanical and life skills.[47:12]
• He emphasizes that all his children, including his daughter, know how to change a flat tire.
His oldest son is a chef; his youngest may go into a mechanic program.[47:41]
• He says his younger son seems to be the one likely to work with his hands in a trade.

Refereeing in the UFC and views on fighters

Getting his first UFC assignment

Keith started refereeing in New Jersey, then in Pennsylvania when it became sanctioned.[50:19]
• Pennsylvania is a big state, so he got a lot of work there as the sport grew.
His first UFC event was UFC 101 in Philadelphia in 2009.[50:50]
• He refereed the first two fights on that card, which also featured BJ Penn vs. Kenny Florian and Anderson Silva vs. Forrest Griffin.
He initially didn't know how to enter a venue as staff without a ticket.[51:09]
• He arrived at the parking lot and realized he had no ticket; later he learned to use credentials to get in.

Refereeing future UFC fighters early

Keith refereed several notable fighters in the local scene before they reached the UFC.[53:14]
• He cites Paul Felder and Al Iaquinta as examples of fighters he reffed regionally and later in the UFC.

Sacrifices and stakes for fighters

Keith notes the heavy sacrifice of fight camps and how quickly a fight can end.[53:24]
• He compares it to training for the Olympics and finishing last; you can train for months or years and lose in 30 seconds.
He likes to be at events early to see all the fighters, not just the headliners.[55:28]
• He views each fight as a big part of that person's life and journey, regardless of card placement.

Fighter energy and aura

Some fighters have a distinct energy when they enter the cage.[55:28]
• He names Dustin Poirier and Clay Guida as examples whose energy affects both crowd and cage.
When both fighters bring strong energy, the atmosphere is especially intense.[59:05]
• He says you can feel how much certain fighters want to be there and how much it means to them.

Male vs female fights and growth of women's competition

Keith says there is no difference for him between refereeing men's and women's fights.[57:56]
• He praises the high and rapidly growing level of women's MMA and women's wrestling.
He attended NAIA women's wrestling nationals when his daughter competed.[58:31]
• He was impressed by the level of competition and notes many of the women are in their mid-20s and extremely tough.

Respect for rules and accidental fouls

Keith says most fighters play by the rules and are respectful toward him.[1:07:29]
• He believes many fouls are accidental due to the speed and intensity of the sport, not intentional cheating.
Some fighters are grindy and push limits, and he must manage that.[1:07:48]
• He acknowledges that in a fight, some athletes will do whatever they can within or skirting the edge of the rules.

Views on fighters who "don't want to be there"

Keith notes that if someone doesn't want to be in a fight, they usually won't last long.[1:02:23]
• He distinguishes that from fighters who are having a bad night but clearly still want to be in there.
He has seen an amateur fighter walk out of the cage mid-fight.[1:03:15]
• In that case he simply waved the fight off, saying that once you leave the cage, it's over and it just wasn't for that person.

Crowd energy and sound in the arena

He describes surprising moments of silence during big fights.[1:05:17]
• Even with 20,000 people, there can be quiet, charged moments when everyone is focused.
Other times, the crowd is extremely loud and he can still pick out specific voices.[1:05:34]
• He notes that some words from the crowd are unintelligible, but certain individual shouts stand out.

Conor McGregor and major-event atmosphere

Keith has not refereed Conor McGregor or Khabib Nurmagomedov.[1:06:13]
• He has worked events where Conor fought and remembers the first Madison Square Garden card with Conor as especially crazy.
He remarks on the huge presence of Irish fans at those events.[1:06:35]

Wrestling, coaching with his daughter, and girls' wrestling growth

Value of wrestling for youth

Keith considers wrestling the best sport for high school and youth.[59:44]
• He says kids learn about defeat and life lessons on the mat instead of in more costly real-world situations.

Coaching his daughter and running Empire Girls Wrestling

Keith is an assistant coach for the Bayshore girls' wrestling team and co-runs Empire Girls Wrestling with his daughter.[1:12:56]
• In their area, only one school (Bayshore) has a girls' team, so girls from other schools join that team.
His daughter, named Mora, is becoming an excellent coach herself.[1:13:40]
• She coached on the New York national team at Fargo and did really well in her first year coaching there.

New York State Fair wrestling event

Keith describes a dual meet they organized at the New York State Fair.[1:14:01]
• They brought a girls' team and a boys' team; the kids stayed in 4-H dorms, got to enjoy the fair, and wrestled in front of passersby.
• He says it was really cool and they plan to do it again.

Daily routine, discipline, and medical adversity

Typical workday and training schedule

Keith works 7:30 to 4:00 as a diesel mechanic, then coaches wrestling most evenings.[1:15:40]
• Empire practices run 7-9 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, plus open mats as the high school season starts.
He likes staying busy and doesn't sit around much.[1:16:13]
• He identifies as a serious person but can laugh at himself and enjoy comedy.

Alcohol and refereeing standards

Keith says referees cannot drink before a fight, though there's no breath-test protocol he mentions.[1:17:27]
• He believes that if someone did drink, officials and others around would notice, making it effectively impossible to work that way.

Assignments and pre-fight routine as a referee

Upon arriving at a venue, he goes to the commission room to get his assignments.[1:19:31]
• He then conducts one-on-one rules meetings with each fighter he will referee.
He also serves as review official and gate inspector when not in the cage.[1:20:09]
• The review official role involves instant replay; gate work means checking fighters as they walk in.
At Madison Square Garden he follows the same ritual every time.[1:20:41]
• He greets a vendor who sells shirts on 8th Avenue, then eats Irish beef stew at Molly Wee pub before heading in.

Appendix complications and kidney stone story

Keith had his appendix removed twice due to a surgical stump being left behind.[1:22:41]
• The first appendix removal was at age 20; years later, he had to have another surgery when the remaining stub caused problems.
He simultaneously suffered from kidney stones and had staples in his abdomen during recovery.[1:23:07]
• He was seeing a doctor every two days and had a major event upcoming that he didn't want to miss.
He got medical clearance and even removed some of his own staples.[1:23:27]
• As the staples tightened, he took a few out himself because they were already starting to come out.
He passed a kidney stone in a public restroom right before working the event.[1:24:02]
• He recalls intense pain, then hearing the stone "ting" in the toilet; when he exited, a fan called him a legend, unaware of what had just happened.
He went on to referee the event successfully and later passed another stone on a plane to Seattle.[1:25:15]
• He describes the overall period as miserable but ultimately fine, with everything working out.

Closing reflections and perspective on the UFC community

Perception of referees and the UFC family

Keith acknowledges that in the fight community, referees can feel like celebrities to some fans.[1:26:42]
• He downplays it, saying it's not about him, but admits it's "crazy" to have people excited to see him.
He agrees the organization feels like a tight-knit family.[1:26:57]
• He tends to keep to himself but appreciates seeing many of the same good people at events over and over.

Lessons Learned

Actionable insights and wisdom you can apply to your business, career, and personal life.

1

Consistent, pre-defined criteria are essential when making high-stakes decisions under pressure, because emotions and external requests will always try to pull you off course.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Where in your work or life do you currently let other people's emotions override the standards you know you should apply?
  • • How could you define clear criteria in advance for one recurring decision so you aren't improvising in the heat of the moment?
  • • What is one situation this week where you will consciously stick to your predetermined rules even if someone pushes you to bend them?
2

Safety and long-term well-being should override short-term excitement or ego, especially in environments built around competition and performance.

Reflection Questions:

  • • In what area of your life are you sacrificing long-term health or stability for a quick win or thrill?
  • • How might your decisions change if you made "will this allow me to keep doing this in 10 years?" a central question before big commitments?
  • • What is one specific safeguard you could add to your routines to reduce the risk of avoidable harm to yourself or others?
3

Staying engaged over decades-through a day job, side passions, and family responsibilities-requires building routines that support discipline while still leaving room for meaning and connection.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Which of your current daily habits genuinely support the life you want, and which are just filling time?
  • • How could you redesign one weekday so that your work, hobbies, and relationships all get at least some intentional focus?
  • • What small routine could you add or remove this month that would make it easier to sustain your commitments over the long term?
4

Facing loss and hardship well is less about avoiding pain and more about how you show up for others and yourself when difficult moments inevitably arrive.

Reflection Questions:

  • • When you think about past losses, what are you proud of in how you handled them, and what would you do differently now?
  • • How can you be more present and supportive for someone in your life who may be going through a hard season right now?
  • • What practice-journaling, talking with someone, quiet reflection-could help you process future hardships more constructively?
5

Teaching and coaching the next generation in a craft or sport multiplies the impact of your own experiences and turns personal passions into shared legacy.

Reflection Questions:

  • • What skills or experiences do you have that could genuinely help someone younger or less experienced?
  • • How might your perspective on your own struggles change if you treated them as raw material for coaching others?
  • • What is one concrete step you could take in the next month to mentor, teach, or support someone in an area you care about?
6

Health changes rarely happen by accident; they tend to follow a clear moment of realization and a decision to take specific, repeatable actions rather than chasing shortcuts.

Reflection Questions:

  • • What recent event or observation has made you think differently about your own health and longevity?
  • • Instead of looking for a quick fix, what one small, sustainable behavior change could you commit to for the next 30 days?
  • • Where could you replace vague intentions like "eat better" or "exercise more" with one measurable daily practice?

Episode Summary - Notes by Reese

#620 - Keith Peterson
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