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UFC Singapore

Former prospect Phillipe Nover has announced his retirement, days after losing at UFC 208.

He announced his retirement on Facebook earlier this evening, saying:

“I want to thank the UFC, Dana White, and Sean Shelby for giving me a second chance at my dreams as fighter. I’m officially retiring from MMA.

“A big thanks to my teammates and coaches over the years, as well as my supportive family and friends. I’ll be moving on to focus on many other things in my life.

“It was an amazing run and I’m glad I tried my best at it.”

The 33-year-old retires after a 14-year career, during which he compiled a record of 11-8-1.

Nover shot to fame on reality show The Ultimate Fighter, reaching the final of season eight, before losing to Efrain Escudero in the finale. During that season of TUF, he was heralded as “the next Anderson Silva“, though he never came near to living up to expectations, ultimately going 1-6 during his two stints with the UFC.

Nover last fought just days ago at UFC 208, losing a split decision to Rick Glenn on the preliminary portion of the card. His two UFC stints sandwiched a brief spell competing for Bellator MMA, and all told he faced notable opponents such as Renan Barao and Marcin Held, though he came up short on both occasions.

This is just the latest UFC fighter to announce their retirement this week, as James Moontasri announced that he was to step away from the sport yesterday, joining the likes of Aisling Daly and Joey Gomez in calling it quits.

Ultimately, Phillipe Nover never became the next Anderson Silva. But if another TUF prospect fails to live up to expectation, we just might see another Phillipe Nover. And that is a legacy in itself.