Phillipe Nover has announced his retirement on social media, following a hard fought decision loss to Rick Glenn at UFC 208. The Filipino-American fighter took to social media to talk about his decision.
Nover, 33, has been balancing a full-time job as a nurse during his fighting career. He says he will hang up the gloves and now focus on that other part of his life.
Nover first burst into the scene as a finalist at Season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter back in 2008. He was hyped by Dana White as possibly the next Anderson Silva or Georges St-Pierre, putting an immense weight of expectations and pressure for the then 5-0-1 fighter.
He had 7 fights in 2 stints with the UFC, compiling an overall 11-8-1 record in his career.
During this last 4-fight stretch with the company, he was able to go back to his roots and compete both in Manila, Philippines, and his current hometown in Brooklyn, New York. He had a victory over Korean star Nam Yui Chul, then dropped three straight, with the final defeat happening at UFC 208 this past weekend.
Prior to his last loss, he impressed and exceeded expectations as he put up a spirited and exciting back-and-forth bout with former champion Renan Barao.
In a sport where many compete until way past their primes, it is refreshing to see an athlete walk away early and actually have a set plan away from fighting.