UFC fighter Phillipe Nover has announced his retirement from the sport at the age of 33.
Nover made the decision after a split decision loss to Rick Glenn at UFC 208 last weekend, which marked his third loss in a row since returning to the UFC in 2015.
Nover’s original stint in the UFC had come many years before in 2008 when he reached the finals of TUF Season 8, with Dana White infamously touting him as “the next Anderson Silva.”
Nover struggled to live up to that lofty comparison, losing all three of his fights in the promotion before being released in 2010.
He’d then go on to compile a 5-2 record outside the promotion, including a brief stint in Bellator, before getting the opportunity to return to the Octagon.
It will no doubt be a disappointment to the fighter that he’s never managed to register a win in the UFC over the course of his two UFC stints, but nonetheless, in his retirement statement on Instagram he made a point to that the promotion for giving him the opportunity in the first place.
“I want to thank the UFC, Dana White, and Sean Shelby for giving me a second chance at my dreams as a 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.”
