UFC Quick Quote: Phillipe Nover will find out what's wrong and come back to fight

by Jesse Holland on Sep 17, 2009 11:13 AM EDT

"I'll start off by saying there's nothing to worry about at this time. My health is great. I feel incredible and I am in peak tip top shape. My weight cut was only about 8 or 9 pounds overall. I dieted as usual for the cut. The weigh-ins were great. I felt good and healthy the whole time here in Oklahoma. Fight day I woke up and ate as usual and again felt fine. I was in the convention center back stage with my corner. All of a sudden I told my trainer Ralph that I wasn't feeling too good. I told him I'm going to sit down and I took my headphones off. That's the last thing I remember until waking up on the floor. Apparently my body stiffened up and I lost consciousness. At that point the Oklahoma commission's doctors came over and asked me a bunch of questions. Next thing I was interview by a few EMTs and the doctors called fight off. I really can't explain what went wrong. I wound up going to the ER here and the doctor said everything is normal blood, urine, and CT of my head. The only thing abnormal is my blood sugar being high. But that could be from eating so much in the last 24 hrs after the weigh-ins. I was so devastated I couldn't fight that I broke out in tears. But the fact of the matter is I should take care of this problem and see what's wrong with me so it will never happen again. My health is my only concern. I know I'll be back to fight. I'm still looking forward to the fight with Stout. I have to see what's wrong with me first and I'll be back on the road for the next one. Thanks for all your support. I'll keep you all posted."

-- The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season eight standout Phillipe Nover provides a health update via his official blog after suffering what was initially reported as a seizure at UFC Fight Night 19 on Sept. 16. While he currently feels 100-percent, the Filipino still has no answers for his mysterious blackout that forced the cancellation of his undercard bout against Sam Stout. The former Brooklyn nurse is no stranger to losing consciousness -- he lost his legs on the first episode of the Spike TV reality show last year and while he got a fair share of ribbing what was attributed to "nerves," it's hard not to speculate if something else is afoot on the heels of Wednesday's incident.

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Comments

I don’t think he should come back. Seizures are nothing to play around with and they don’t just happen. The last thing he needs to get hit and start seizing in the octagon. Time to do something else.

And on the business side, Nover is going to be a huge liability. Can’t have that.

by DSmith on Sep 17, 2009 11:22 AM EDT reply actions

Check and Check.
Chances are this is an iceberg problem and the root cause only comes out after the worst case scenario.

Unless Zuffa is having athletes sign waivers I don’t think they should risk having him fight until their is concrete
evidence that this is a workable problem.

Poor kid, I hate when good talented people get the short stick. What he should do is start an apprenticeship with Jacob Duran and become the new breed of cutmen.

by Big Zino on Sep 17, 2009 11:31 AM EDT up reply actions

Same guy that just fainted on episode 1. I think that was a sign of things to come.

by jd on Sep 17, 2009 11:42 AM EDT up reply actions

Good point D(Deborah?)Smith. He really hadn’t even done much anyway other than get too much hype on his season of TUF. Definitely not worth risking all the bad publicity that would come MMA’s way.

by RedDog on Sep 17, 2009 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Hope the next Anderson Silva is OK.

It sucks for my boy Sam, though. He was gonna put Nover in a seizuresque state in that fight anyway.

by Jeremyjackson on Sep 17, 2009 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions

Diabetic????

by Randy for Couture on Sep 17, 2009 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions

i hope he is ok, but i dont think he should be fighting. hes collapsed twice already. huge liability is right. not to sound dramatic but If he has a seizure in the octagon it could put a stop the growth of MMA. It would be really bad for the sport and all those who depend on it to make a living.

by donkeyballs on Sep 17, 2009 12:32 PM EDT up reply actions

to me it just sounds like he fainted again, and seizures can be bad and they can be nothing i am not sure he had a seizure

by roy on Sep 17, 2009 12:38 PM EDT up reply actions

it doesnt sound like he had a seizure. I think it may have looked like he had one to everyone and then Dana was told he did so he said that on his Twitter but it does sound like he just passed out again. there was no mention of him trying to swollow his tongue or other normal things that happen when you have a seizure. your body will shake when you pass out from blood sugar being to low. not sure about too high.

by David Lucas on Sep 17, 2009 12:59 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m glucose intolerant so my blood sugar fluctuates dramatically. I learned this because I passed out while doing a set of squats in high school. Scared the crap out of everyone else, but I found out the source and haven’t had any episodes since. If it’s a blood sugar problem he should be able to manage it and it shouldn’t be a problem athletically.

by Diceman on Sep 17, 2009 3:13 PM EDT up reply actions

didn’t this happen to him on the first day of ultimate fighter? thought they just said he passed out, makes it seem less likely now…

hope he’s ok, that just sucks

by connor on Sep 17, 2009 9:18 PM EDT up reply actions

how ironic the nurse dosent know whats wrong with himself! really wanted to see this fight, we cant watch anderson silva all the time but we can watch anderson jnr, well not anytime soon!

by TRUTH on Sep 17, 2009 11:24 AM EDT reply actions

Its not really that ironic. He’s a nurse, not a doctor.

by My wife can't wrestle but you should see her box on Sep 17, 2009 8:13 PM EDT up reply actions

seems as though pressure triggers his black outs..like too many nerves just shuts him down..not that that is a medical fricken analysis..dunno if it’s epilepsy either..but it sucks to throw away so much hard work..i can’t imagine anyone wanting to back him with such displays..seizures are no joke..and impact to his brain (as in KO) might just f*ck him up more..stick to nursing i’m thinking..or become a coach instead of putting yourself at risk..

by sarah on Sep 17, 2009 11:32 AM EDT reply actions

“seizures are no joke..and impact to his brain (as in KO) might just f*ck him up more”

You’re right on the money that they are no joke, but if it was caused by sleep deprivation or something like that, then a punch to the head isn’t going to do anything other than it normally would.

by introvert on Sep 17, 2009 11:51 AM EDT up reply actions

that is true..i don’t claim to know what is wrong or what caused the seizures..if he has some pressure on the brain or tumour..who knows..but getting punched in the head after suffering a seizure(s)..till they figure it out..seems like not a good plan..thus he did not fight..nor will he fight till he is cleared..

by sarah on Sep 17, 2009 12:19 PM EDT up reply actions

Hey, if it’s sleep deprivation causing it, maybe a punch in the head is what he needs…he’d get some sleep.

I know… bad taste lol.

by introvert on Sep 17, 2009 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions

I thought the exact same thing, Sarah, when I found out about the seizure…I was like ya know, nursing isn’t such a bad thing. That seems to better suit him than fighting.

by RedDog on Sep 17, 2009 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Depends what is causing the seizures. There is medication that can stop this sort of thing from happening. Usually the seizure can be attributed to something else, and the something else can be treated. Seizure can be epilepsy caused or can be caused by something as simple as sleep deprevation, fever, infections, drug withdrawal, etc…

It would be pretty premature to write off the kid’s career over one seizure without knowing the cause first IMO.

I hope he gets it diagnosed and treated.

by introvert on Sep 17, 2009 11:45 AM EDT reply actions

very true, it may be nothing. it might be that he just fainted again and it is only his nerves getting to him.seizures can be bad and they can be nothing it depends on why and many people live with this problem i would not write him off either.

by roy on Sep 17, 2009 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions

I wonder if he suffers from a severe anxiety disorder. If he only blacks out in high stress situations, it’s a possibility.

by cmon on Sep 17, 2009 12:11 PM EDT reply actions

there seems to be a pattern there

by RedDog on Sep 17, 2009 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that out of all the fighters I’ve ever watched, the only one to ever faint over the prospect of competition then went on to have a seizure right before another competition.

by RedDog on Sep 17, 2009 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions

lets not forget he fought in the Ultimate Fighter Finale and didn’t faint… that’s one of the biggest pressure situations there is for some fighters.

by Blunt N' Beer on Sep 17, 2009 3:22 PM EDT up reply actions

Hopefully there is nothing seriously wrong with Phillipe but I’m worried about his future. Best of luck to him whatever happens but right now fighting should be the last thing on his mind.

by David W-S on Sep 17, 2009 3:11 PM EDT reply actions