Maximizing Potential

It took 13 years for Steven Siler to close in on his potential in mixed martial arts. As he enters his 49th pro bout at the 2018 Professional Fighters League Championships on Dec. 31 in New York, the Utah native believes he is destined for the greatest achievement of his career. When asked if his undefeated -- and sometimes controversial -- run during the PFL season was proof that destiny was on his side, Siler, 31, did not hesitate with his response.

“I definitely feel that way, for sure,” he told Sherdog.com. “I feel like my career was [at] a low point coming into the season. I was on a two-fight losing streak. I was really uncertain with how everything was going.”

In the two years prior to PFL 1, Siler had suffered three defeats in four outings and lost faith in his longtime gym: The Pit Elevated Fight Team. The facility that once housed former Ultimate Fighting Championship competitors like Josh Burkman, Brock Jardine, Court McGee and Ramsey Nijem had become a shell of itself.

“Everything just went downhill,” Siler said, “where the gym shut down [and there was a] fallout with the coach, so I really didn’t have a coach.”

The situation was troublesome. Siler often had to use McGee as his primary training partner despite “The Ultimate Fighter 11” winner being a middleweight at the time. He did not have the benefit of coaches in his corner during fights, only teammates.

“Everything went away,” Siler said.

In a way, he was stuck. He avoided the idea of seeking out training in another state, because he did not want to ask his wife to raise their children alone for months at a time; and better options were not available to him in Utah. Siler had won six of his previous seven fights heading into 2017, where he was met with a wakeup call in the form of back-to-back losses.

“I didn’t really feel like I needed a change,” he said, “and then once those two losses happened, it was like, ‘Oh, s---. This isn’t going the way it’s supposed to.’”

With 12 years in the sport and not much to show for it, Siler was unsure about whether or not he should continue on. Then the Professional Fighters League and the promise of a $1 million championship prize came along. The opportunity was too substantial to pass up, so Siler’s wife, Mary, decided to assume all responsibilities at home in order to allow him to pursue better training outside of Utah.

“My wife decided to sacrifice and make one last-ditch effort to see how my fighting career would go,” Siler said.

He dropped anchor at Factory X in Englewood, Colorado, and his resurgence began. As he inches closer to becoming a total package inside the cage, Siler admits the time he has spent with trainer Marc Montoya has been something of a revelation.

“The more I’ve been with the camp the better I’ve been, and I just feel like everything is lining up the way it’s supposed to,” he said. “I feel like I have a more well-rounded game since I’ve been at the Factory. I’m seeing different looks every single day that I’m training.”

Siler’s work with the Factory X coaching staff also appears to have resulted in a heightened sense of awareness in the heat of battle. He points to his PFL featherweight quarterfinal against Nazareno Malegarie as evidence.

“I went to the corner after the fight and said, ‘Dude, I literally see everything he’s doing before it happens. Like, I feel overprepared,’” Siler said.

Unbeaten across his last four appearances, he enjoys renewed confidence and remains excited about the opportunity ahead of him. If Siler can avenge a November 2017 decision defeat to Lance Palmer in the featherweight final, he will walk away with a life-altering paycheck. He admits he underestimated Palmer in their first encounter -- a mistake he vows not to make again.

“I really didn’t have a camp,” Siler said. “I trained with a few people [and] really wasn’t doing much, didn’t have a head coach. I wasn’t preparing the way I should’ve. I definitely did not have a game plan. I went into the fight [thinking], ‘Hey, I’ve had more fights than Lance. I’ve fought higher competition than Lance. This should be a fight I win. I should do whatever feels good and I’ll win this fight.’”

Instead, Palmer -- a four-time NCAA All-American wrestler at Ohio State University -- outmaneuvered Siler and broke him down mentally.

“Instead of beating him up,” Siler said, “I was too worried about [whether or not] he was going to take me down. [I was] overthinking and just letting him take me down.”

With another child on the way, he has not had to dig deep for extra motivation. Siler believes Palmer will see a far different opponent and a man better prepared to deal with his wrestling-heavy style when they meet for a second time.

“Those are things me and my coach have definitely been working on,” he said.

Siler understands the stakes.

“In my MMA career, [winning the PFL championship] by far would be the biggest accomplishment,” he said. “The UFC was cool, but it was just more [about] the name, where now I’m getting money, I can provide for my family and get a championship belt.”

Speaking of the title, Siler plans to hand it to his son -- an avid World Wrestling Entertainment fan -- should he defeat Palmer.

“I promised him, once I win this belt, we’ll keep it in his room and he can play with it whenever,” he said. “It’s a new championship belt, [so] it’s like a dream come true for him.”