TUF 8 Finalist Phillipe Nover: I don’t think Efrain’s going to last more than one round with me.

Fighters.com spoke this week with The Ultimate Fighter 8 finalist “The Filipino Assassin” Phillipe Nover (4-0) as he was preparing to fly out to Las Vegas, where he will fight Efrain Escudero (6-0) for the season eight lightweight crown Saturday 13 December.

Fighters.com:  I saw that you earned your black belt on Saturday, congratulations.

Phillipe Nover:  Thank you.  Yeah, I didn’t even really expect it.  I guess when you least expect things, sometimes they happen.  I trained Brazilian jiu-jitsu for about eight years now, and my teacher, Soca (Alexandre Freitas), gave me my brown belt a few years ago.  Soca had a promotion ceremony and he was like, “Be there, man!  You better be there,” and I’m like, “Okay, okay.”  I thought I’d probably get some stripes and then I got my belt instead.  It was a big, big deal for me.

Fighters.com:  How is your training going?

Phillipe Nover:  Really good.  I really trained specifically for Efrain’s style and what I remember him to be on the show and analyzing his fights.  I train about eight to twelve sessions a week.  I do mostly double days and I’ve been doing about twice a week of live training like sparring and stuff and my conditioning.  I feel really good.  My weight’s good, I feel more ready for this fight than any other fight.  You know, pretty much I had Efrain on my mind for the last five, six months.  I’ve never been so focused on one particular person.

Fighters.com:  Is that more training than you were doing before?

Phillipe Nover:  Oh yeah, it’s definitely more training.  I quit my job, actually.  I quit my full-time job.  When I got back from the show, I downgraded to part-time at the hospital and I couldn’t even handle that.  So I quit the emergency room job and I only work eight hours a week now as a nurse in intervention radiology, which is a lot easier position.  It’s a controlled environment, and it’s a lot easier especially if I’m training all the time.

Fighters.com:  What made you choose nursing?  Is it something you’d always had an interest in?

Phillipe Nover:  It’s kind of weird, because usually… well my mom is Filipino and usually the Filipino mom is the nurse, but it’s actually backwards.  My father, who’s American, is actually the nurse.  My mom does real estate and insurance.  But my dad always wanted me to get involved in the medical field, whether it was [as] a physician or a pharmacist or physical therapist, and he said, “What about nursing?  I’m a nurse.”  And I saw he was the breadwinner of the household, [and] he said I wouldn’t starve.  I made a decision, and it worked out well.  I really enjoyed the profession and it’s a great position for a male, too.

Fighters.com:  Do you miss it, not working full time?

Phillipe Nover:  I definitely miss some of the action.  I used to work night shifts.  I do visit the hospital at like twelve, one o’clock in the morning and just see my old co-workers.  A couple of weeks ago I visited and they had a trauma coming in, and I got, “Oh, this is great!  Let me try to jump in.”  But you know, I couldn’t jump in.

But other than that I really want to focus on the fighting right now.  This is my ultimate dream.  It wasn’t really nursing.  My ultimate dream was to be a pro fighter and just train all day and get paid to do it.

Fighters.com:  You were born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, but you made a point of showcasing your Filipino heritage on the show.  Your mom is Filipino and you’ve spent some time in the Philippines…

Phillipe Nover:  Yeah, actually, when I was growing up, ever since the age of seven or eight, I went back every summer or every other summer.  I have so much family there, so many aunts and uncles and titas and kuyas.  My mom has five sisters and one brother and they’re all older than her, and they have kids, and the kids have kids.  I love going back and seeing my family there.  I’m going back in January.

Fighters.com:  When was the last time you were there?

Phillipe Nover:  I was there, I believe, a year and a half ago.

Fighters.com:  Do you speak Tagalog?

Phillipe Nover:  Kaunti lang.  A little bit.  Just enough to get by.  Maybe like a Tarzan type of Tagalog.

Fighters.com:  How big is your following in the Philippines?  Do you know?

Phillipe Nover:  I don’t really know quite yet.  The last time I was there, and I wasn’t in the UFC… pretty much nobody really knew me except some of my relatives and some of my friends over there who also happen to train.  I’ve recently just been talking and e-mailing with my cousins over there, and they said that people are starting to find out the message I’m presenting, especially on the show eating balut and stuff, and I had some subliminal messages.

I don’t know if people saw them, like on my hat I colored in a Filipino flag and I made some signs that said, “Sipag at Tiyaga” (hard work and patience).  I had it up for the Red Team in our room.  My mouthpiece was the Filipino flag colors.  And I made Filipino pork barbecue.  There was a Filipino guy who was one of the workers for the producers and he got us food, so whenever I would see him I would talk to him in Tagalog even though we’re not supposed to talk to them.  I was like, “Get me the pork shoulder, get me the whole pork shoulder and skewers,” and he got me the whole pork shoulder and I barbecued it.  The guys ate it; they loved it, even though I’m trying to feed them unhealthy food.  [laughing]  I only had a piece, but man, I’m trying to get these guys nice and fat.  [laughing]

Fighters.com:  This was your third time trying out for The Ultimate Fighter, I believe.  Which other seasons did you try out for?

Phillipe Nover:  True, I tried out for season two, I believe.  That was the season with Luke Cummo (6-6) and Joe Stevenson (29-8) when they fought.  I do remember trying out for that.  When I went to the tryouts Dana [White, UFC President] said I didn’t have enough experience at the time – I only had like two fights.

And then season seven I tried out for the 185 division.  I went down there with my friend Matt Brown (9-7) who happened to get on the show and do well.  So we both tried out.  He’s heavier than me so he got on, but Dana said, “Your record looks good, your jiu-jitsu looks good, but man, you’re too small to get in this show.”  I was like, “All right, this sucks.”

That didn’t stop me.  As soon as I heard that season eight had 155-ers – I never even cut to 155, I was a 170-pounder; I fought at 185 a couple of times too.  But I was willing to do anything and when I heard it was 155, I started dieting, exercising, and I went down there and I did pretty good at the tryouts.  They accepted me.

Fighters.com:  How do you feel as a lightweight?  Do you see yourself staying at 155?

Phillipe Nover:  I definitely see myself staying at 155.  I feel like I still have the power of a 185-er or a 170-pounder, but I’m faster now.  I feel like I could last longer, my conditioning is probably the best it’s ever been in my life.  I hooked up with a really good conditioning coach also and he just really pushes me to the limit.  At 185 or 170, I don’t think I could be doing the same things I’m doing now.

Fighters.com:  You are a heavy hitter, especially for a lightweight.  Is that what makes your strikes so powerful?

Phillipe Nover:  Even before the show I’ve been told that, “You hit real hard.”  I guess it’s just the way I move my hips and the way that I was taught to punch.  I don’t really punch just with my shoulder and my hand; I turn and commit to it.  It’s a big commitment when you land one or two shots like that.  They make a big difference, especially when you’re wearing four-ounce gloves.

I’m used to wearing headgear and boxing gloves.  When you hit someone with those punches, if you can stun someone with that type of gear on, imagine what you can do with just four-ounce gloves.  You know, you could start breaking jaws.  [laughing]

Fighters.com:  Your standup is excellent, you just got your black belt, and you’ve trained in multiple disciplines since you were about ten.  How would you describe your particular style?

Phillipe Nover:  If I would use a few words, I’d say it’s well-rounded, it’s leaning toward what a mixed martial artist should be.  As a mixed martial artist you really should be training every aspect, you know.  I’ve been trying to pick up my wrestling lately, too.  I’m just training all the elements.  I’m striving to become the complete fighter, ‘cause that’s how I think the big names get there.  GSP [Georges St. Pierre (17-2)] and Anderson [Silva (23-4)], they both have black belts in jiu-jitsu, they both have really good standup, they’ve got amazing takedowns.  I’m trying to be the complete fighter.  I’m not going to say, I’m just going to train what I’m good at.  I’m going to train what I’m bad at so I can just get it better.

Fighters.com:  Obviously the path to a black belt is a process and you didn’t suddenly get much better, but how much will your promotion help your performance against Efrain?  Do you think passing that milestone will affect your fight?

Phillipe Nover:  Every time I get a promotion, I get this kind of fire in me.  I already had this feeling, this really crazy, “feel like a million bucks” kind of feeling, and getting my black belt really gave me a boost of energy, a boost of confidence, and it’s going to make me press my game.  Maybe I want to submit him now, I don’t know.  [laughing]

Fighters.com:  [laughing] Is that what you’re going to try to do?

Phillipe Nover:  I predict it’s going to end in the first round, I really don’t know how it’s going to end.  I just don’t know if Efrain can handle me for more than one round.  I’m not underestimating him, I think he’s a great fighter; I just don’t think he’s going to last more than one round with me.

Fighters.com:  Efrain is fairly well-rounded and a good wrestler with a good ground game; how do you plan to get around that?

Phillipe Nover:  He made it to the finals just like I did, and he’s a great kid.  He’s a good guy.  We basically lived together, ate together, slept in the same room, and, you know, I respect him completely.  He does have really good wrestling takedown ability, he has a good submission ability.  I don’t think Efrain has been taken to the deep end of the pool yet.  I’m not going to say that he fought scrubs before, but I’m going to say that he hasn’t fought a guy like me before.

I know he has a 10-0 record, which is an incredible record, or if you count the semis, that’s like an 11-0 record.  But I’m not included on that record.  ‘Cause I think I fought some guys before that I really went to the deep end of the water mentally and came out victorious, so we’ll see if Efrain can handle that, and if he can, he’s got all my respect.

Fighters.com:  You two were friends.  Have you kept in touch with him at all?

Phillipe Nover:  MySpace is a crazy thing.  We text.  We actually got each other’s cell numbers and stuff.  We talk.  I mean, the only thing I think that’s stopping us from being more friendly is the fact that we’re going to beat the crap out of each other [on Saturday].  [laughing]

It was mentally easier for me to fight Joe Duarte (4-1) and Dave Kaplan (2-1), ‘cause I didn’t really like those guys as much.  I mean…  George Roop (8-1) was a really nice guy, and Efrain’s a really nice guy, so it might be mentally a little more difficult to fight Efrain, but once the bell rings and the cage door is shut, it’s a totally different mentality, it’s strictly business.  It’s a sport, but at the same time I’ve got to separate all the emotions, that he’s a nice guy, and just come out there and smash him.

Fighters.com:  How does it feel, headlining the event?

Phillipe Nover:  Wow, that was pretty wild, because I actually didn’t know I was headlining until I looked it up on the internet when my brother called me and said, “Hey, look on the internet.  You’re headlining the card,” and I was like, “What?!”  [laughing]  Seriously, that’s nuts.

A year ago I was hoping to get on an undercard in the UFC, you know, just to be one of the fights, not even to make it onto live pay-per-view, just to be on the undercard would be satisfying.  And now, I’m headlining an event!  I never even fought technically on a UFC card, and Efrain and myself are now… like everyone’s just waiting for us to fight.  It’s just mind-blowing.

Fighters.com:  Finally, what is your prediction for your fellow finalists, “Darth” Ryan Bader (5-0) versus “Pezao” Vinicius Magalhaes (3-3)?

Phillipe Nover:  Okay, I think Bader’s going to win by decision.  I think Vinny’s a really good fighter, they’re both really good fighters, but Bader is just so damn strong.  I mean, he was on my team and I felt this guy and he’s just so powerful.

Like, I think I had a time where I was trying to show a defense for a choke, and I was like, “This is how you do the defense,” and he was like, “All right,” and then he puts you in the choke.  And I could pretty much defend the choke if the guy wasn’t fifty, sixty pounds heavier, and you know, Bader.

It’s going to be hard for Vinny to sub him, I think, and if Bader wants to stay on his feet, he can, because Vinny isn’t going to be able to take Bader down.  Bader can control the fight better than Vinny.  If Vinny tries to jump guard and stuff, I don’t think he’s going to be able to sub Bader ‘cause Bader could just ground’n’pound and get up.  But yeah, my prediction is Bader by decision.

Fighters.com:  Thank you for your time.  Congratulations on your recent accomplishments, and good luck on your fight.

Phillipe Nover:  Thank you, and take care.