MANILA, Philippines — Phillipe Nover has taken his combat skills from the pentagon to the frontlines of the health care system in Brooklyn, New York.
The Filipino-American Nover, known as "The Filipino Assassin" during his mixed martial arts career, is now fighting a bigger opponent: the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
After retiring from MMA in 2017, Nover became a cardiac nurse in Brooklyn and is now one of the frontliners tasked to keep COVID-19 at bay.
In an interview with MMA website mmafighting.com, Nover also encouraged people to stay at home — narrating his experience in treating patients with the virus.
"I've seen such horrific stuff when it comes to COVID-19. Patients dying in front of me, gasping for air. It's not a sight that I want to see anymore and I think just quarantining and staying home would be helpful," Nover said.
Nover is best known for being the runner-up in Season 8 of the Ultimate Fighter and his seven-bout stint with Ultimate Fighting Championship.