Siler survives tough 5-round bout in MMA event

OREM — "Super" Steven Siler has never fought an opponent like Enoch "the Animal" Wilson.

Not only did Wilson (15-2) escape from all of Siler's signature moves, he gave the featherweight champion just about all he could handle in the 25-minute, five-round bout.

"I've never done that before," said Siler, an Ogden native who won the fight in an unanimous decision. "I've never gone five rounds before."

In addition to offering the thousands of fans who packed the McKay Events Center on Friday night for the Throwdown Showdown V one of the most thrilling and competitive fights of the night, the duo showed some serious sportsmanship. They high-fived, smiled and chatted between rounds.

"We just got to know each other the last couple of days," said Siler, noting that behavior was a little unusual. "He's a tough guy."

Wilson was gracious in defeat, even putting the championship belt on Siler.

"This kid is a stud," said Wilson bowing to Siler and the audience.

For the first time at a Throwdown event, two women battled it out in the cage.

Tandi "Tandilion" Schaeffer, of Throwdown in Orem, earned a technical knockout against Britney Schmid, of Foley's in Ogden, at 2:50 in the third round of the undercard bout.

Schaeffer, who teaches classes at the Throwdown Elite Gym, said she's been trying to find a woman to fight for two years.

"It was better," she said of whether or not the fight lived up to her expectations. "She's tough. My lungs are burning, so that's good."

Schaeffer's strategy was to do what she trains other fighters to do everyday.

"I am a Thai fighter," she said with a grin. "I live to punch. I love elbows; I love knees, so that's what I threw."

She said the toughest aspect of her first bout was applying her training to a constantly changing real fight situation.

"The hardest thing was being clear-minded," she said. "Feeling when I could do certain things, when I was safe. ... I have never thrown elbows; I have never thrown knees, so to be able to remember to do that or counter what she did — that was hard."