UFC lightweight Phillipe Nover is looking for a fresh start in 2010 and due to the events of the past year, I'm not sure anyone could blame him.

Let's flashback...

The Brooklyn native burst onto the scene in the latter part of 2008 where he was praised by Dana White on the Ultimate Fighter season 8. In a fight he was expected to win, Nover lost a decision to Efrain Escudero in the season finale, resulting in one of the more shocking endings the series has seen.

In May of 2009, an attempt to bounce back against veteran Kyle Bradley was dashed by referee Yves Lavigne when he called the fight at 1:03 of the first round. His shot at redemption was put on hold and fans were left dumbfounded as Nover was a victim of one of the worst premature stoppages the UFC has ever seen.

To put a cherry on top, his fight last September with Sam Stout was scrapped at the last second because of a fainting episode he suffered backstage.

Needless to say, Phillipe Nover still has a point to prove and he gets a chance to put the past behind him at UFC 109 against Rob Emerson.

I recently had the chance to talk to Nover about the what the future may have in store, and whirlwind that was 2009.

FiveKnuckles.com: On The Ultimate Fighter season 8 we learned that you're a registered nurse by day and UFC lightweight prospect by night. Is that still the case, or have you been concentrating more on furthering your fighting career?

Phillipe Nover: I haven't been working my job much at all lately. For the most part, I work once or twice a week or I pick up a holiday shift when they call me so I've definitely lightened my work load.
I don't work in ER (emergency room) anymore. I now work in a unit called endometrial radiology and MRI-CT.

It's a very easy, laid back position where nothing crazy happens. In doing this I've been able to train five or six days a week and pursue my art to the fullest capacity. That's what I've always wanted so it's a dream come true.

FiveKnuckles.com: So you're happy with the way your life is right now?

Phillipe Nover: I'm very happy. When I was in nursing school and fighting part-time, I would always dream about making it to the UFC and at one point I had to make a decision. It was coming down to working for a living or following my dream. I basically figured out a way for me to be able to do both and that's been a blessing to me. I'm glad I've been able to keep a hand in my profession while pursuing my fight career. It's definitely the right thing for me to be doing.

Fighting wasn't going to pay my bills when I first started in this sport. A young fighter may fight every couple months and make a thousand bucks or probably even less. That just wasn't going to cut it for me. The money is good in nursing so it gave me the opportunity to provide for myself and it's a great field to get into right now due to the shortage of workers. Besides that, I really appreciate the human body and I enjoy studying...

Make sure to check back with us the day of the event for free, live, round-by-round coverage of UFC 109 right here at FiveKnuckles.com! Join expert analyst Mike Williams as he takes you through the entire fight card blow-by-blow and then keep it right here for all the post-fight news and notes you can handle!