Fightin Phillipe The Rock Star
Phillipe Nover might want you to think he's not a rock star, but the truth is that he's the very essence of what it mean to be a rock star. I first noticed when it he stepped onto the scales before he fought the battered George Roop. The way he floated into the room, the semblances of an entourage already forming, and that evil grin that began to crack across his face.
At that point, everyone already knew he had talent, or at least potential, but it was more than that. Something kept telling me not to forget this kid from Brooklyn. This registered nurse. This ferocious animal. There was something there, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Looking back, I think was the disconnect created by the TV, because when I finally met him in person, it became very apparent what it was that made me take notice of him.
It was at The Ultimate Finale weigh-ins Friday night when I had the pleasure of meeting him in person for the first time, OK it was the second time, but the first time where he was really in his element. He was in charge of that room. The type of guy that can silence a mob with a soft motion of his hand.
The surprising, or scary, part is that this kid is a rookie. He hasn't even fought professionally in the UFC and he's already got the stature of a hall of famer. That's not to say he's got immortality locked up, or that he even has this next fight against Efrain Escudero locked up. What it means, that initial notion I got was accurate; do not forget his name.
Check all the clips from my exclusive interview here.
