Joseph Francis Schilling (born January 13, 1984) is an American professional

Muay Thai Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterised ...

kickboxer Kickboxing is a combat sport focused on kicking and punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is practiced for self-defense, general ...

and

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

who most recently competed for

Bellator Kickboxing Bellator Kickboxing was an American kickboxing promotion company based in Los Angeles, active between 2016 and 2019. Bellator was founded in 2016 by president Scott Coker. It was the sister promotion of Bellator MMA. On April 16, 2016, Bellator ...

in the

Middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have be ...

division, and in the

division for

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media cong ...

. He was released from Bellator in October 2020 after the

Mohegan Tribe The Mohegan Tribe () is a federally recognized tribe and sovereign tribal nation of the Mohegan people. Their reservation is the Mohegan Indian Reservation, located on the Thames River in Uncasville, Connecticut. Mohegan's independence as a ...

Department of Athletic Regulations refused to grant him a license to fight. Known for his use of

elbows The elbow is the region between the arm and the forearm that surrounds the elbow joint. The elbow includes prominent landmarks such as the olecranon, the cubital fossa (also called the chelidon, or the elbow pit), and the lateral and the media ...

to cut opponents and nicknamed "Stitch 'em Up", Schilling began fighting professionally in 2006 and was a two-time national titlist before defeating

Kaoklai Kaennorsing Kaoklai Kaennorsing ( th, ก้าวไกล แก่นนรสิงห์; born September 13, 1983) is a former Thai light heavyweight Muay Thai fighter. Kaennorsing is the K-1 World Grand Prix 2004 in Seoul tournament winner, former t ...

to become the

WBC Muaythai WBC may stand for: Business *Westinghouse Broadcasting Company, a former large India broadcaster now folded into CBS *Westpac (New Delhi Exchange code: WBC), a multinational Financial services company *Wholesale Broadband Connect, BT Wholesale's ...

Interim World Light Heavyweight Champion in 2011. His profile further increased the following year when he engaged in a controversial rivalry with

Simon Marcus Simon Marcus (born 5 November 1986), also known as The One, is a Canadian mixed martial artist and former Muay Thai kickboxer, who competes in the Light Heavyweight and Cruiserweight divisions. He is currently signed with Unified MMA. He was ...

. As of November 1, 2018, he is ranked the #7 middleweight kickboxer in the world by Combat Press.

Background

Born and raised in

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...

, Schilling was raised by a single mother alongside two other siblings. A troublesome child, Schilling was expelled from four different schools and took up Muay Thai at 15 years old, hoping that it would give him direction and focus. After being kicked out of the family home at 17, he worked odd jobs and began his fighting career in local

Toughman Contest The Toughman Contest, founded in 1979 in Bay City, Michigan by late boxing promoter Art Dore (1936-2022), is a chance for the novice amateur boxers (those with no more than five sanctioned wins in the past five years) to test themselves in the ...

s while living in a small property that his grandmother owned with his brother Kevin. After his grandmother died, Schilling moved to Los Angeles, California where he found work as a personal trainer at a

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...

. He met his future trainer and business partner Mark Komuro while training at the LA Boxing Club, in downtown Los Angeles. When that gym shut down, the pair moved to a spartan gym situated in a dilapidated structure that had formerly housed the Lincoln Heights city jail, with Schilling being announced at fights as fighting out of "The Jail." In keeping with that theme, when Schilling and Komuro decided to open their own gym, they were inspired to name it after the exercise area in prison, and in 2007 they opened The Yard, a Muay Thai gym located in Lincoln Heights.

Career

Early career (2006–2009)

After a short and unremarkable amateur career, Schilling turned professional on September 30, 2006, taking on Lawson Baker in an 84 kg/185 lb bout on ten days' notice in

Inglewood, California Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 107,762. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. The city is in the South Bay ...

. He recalls striking his opponent with all his might, only to watch him continue to advance unfazed. After being dropped multiple times and nearly

throwing in the towel A submission is a combat sports term for yielding to the opponent, and hence resulting in an immediate defeat. The submission – then also referred to as a "tap out" or "tapping out" – is often performed by visibly tapping the floor or the opp ...

, Schilling finally found the one weapon that worked,

. 47 landed elbows later, he won his first professional Muay Thai fight by way of

split decision A split decision (SD) is a winning criterion in boxing, most commonly in full-contact combat sports, in which two of the three judges score one particular competitor as the winner, while the third judge scores for the other competitor. A split dec ...

. Having amassed an undefeated record over the course of the next year, Schilling was given the opportunity to fight for the vacant International Karate Kickboxing Council (IKKC) United States Super Middleweight (-75 kg/165 lb) Muay Thai Championship against Russian import Denis Grachev in

Highland, California Highland (and neighboring "East Highlands") is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population of the city was 53,104 as of the 2010 census, up from 44,605 at the 2000 census. The term ''Highland'' also refers to a geo ...

on November 29, 2007. Grachev defeated Schilling with a 47-second

knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, a ...

in the first round after Grachev delivered a spinning heel kick to the body, as Schilling was unable to beat the referee's ten count. Throughout 2008, he turned his focus towards

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...

and amassed a 1-3 record in the sport with all of his bouts ending in a submission. Schilling also debuted as a

professional boxer Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional bouts are supervised by a regulatory autho ...

on December 20, 2008 and knocked out his opponent Orlando Brizzio in just five seconds, the fastest KO in American combat sports history. He made his return to Muay Thai in early 2009 and took wins over

Chidi Njokuani Chidi Godson Njokuani (born December 31, 1988) is an American former Muay Thai kickboxer and current professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professio ...

and Chris Spång before experiencing a devastating loss to Wang Hong Xiang on August 30, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fighting under Sanshou rules for the first time, Schilling was repeatedly

thrown Throwing is an action which consists in accelerating a projectile and then releasing it so that it follows a ballistic trajectory, usually with the aim of impacting a remote target. This action is best characterized for animals with prehensil ...

and

taken down ''Taken Down'', is an Irish crime drama series starring Aissa Maiga, Lynn Rafferty, Brian Gleeson (actor), Brian Gleeson, Orla Fitzgerald and Barry Ward (actor), Barry Ward. It ran for one season on RTÉ2. The series follows Inspector Jen Roon ...

throughout the bout and injured both of his knees. He was counted out by the referee in round two when he could not continue after a leg

sweep Sweep or swept may refer to: Cleaning * Sweep, the action of using a brush to clean * Chimney sweep, a worker who clears ash and soot from chimneys * Street sweeper, a person's occupation, or a machine that cleans streets * Swept quartz, a cleani ...

. He required surgery on his knees after the fight which resulted in a year-long layoff.

United States Champion (2010–2011)

Schilling made his return to the ring on September 26, 2010 in his adopted hometown of Los Angeles where he faced Ryan Roy in a bout for the Muay Thai Association of America (MTAA) United States Super Middleweight (-75 kg/165 lb) Championship. After dominating Roy in the first round utilizing his height advantage with

knees In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest joint in the hu ...

from the Thai clinch, Schilling forced the referee to stop the contest in the second when he barraged his opponent with a series of unanswered elbows. Less than a month later, he made his international debut as he defeated Argentine opponent Luciano Vazquez via fourth round

technical knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, a ...

at the historic

Rajadamnern Stadium Rajadamnern Stadium ( th, สนามมวยราชดำเนิน; ), also spelled ''Ratchadamnoen'', is a sporting arena in Bangkok, Thailand. Along with Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, Rajadamnern is one of the two main stadiums for modern m ...

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

on October 24, 2010. On December 5, 2010 in Los Angeles, he beat

Chaz Mulkey Chaz Pictro Mulkey (born February 4, 1981) is an American Muay Thai kickboxer who competes in the middleweight and super middleweight divisions. He defeated Remy Bonnel to win the WBC Muaythai International Middleweight (-72 kg/160 lb) ...

by third-round TKO in a

WBC Muay Thai WBC may stand for: Business *Westinghouse Broadcasting Company, a former large India broadcaster now folded into CBS *Westpac (New Delhi Exchange code: WBC), a multinational Financial services company * Wholesale Broadband Connect, BT Wholesale' ...

United States Super Middleweight (-76.204 kg/168 lb) title eliminator. He knocked Mulkey down four times throughout the bout, causing a referee stoppage. Schilling was then scheduled to face

Ky Hollenbeck Ky Conrad Hollenbeck (born June 17, 1987) is an American Muay Thai kickboxer who competes in the middleweight division. He won national and North American titles as an amateur in his teens before turning professional in 2007 and beating Billy ...

for the WBC National Super Middleweight Championship on March 5, 2011 in Los Angeles but Hollenbeck withdrew from the bout to fight for a world title and was replaced by Chase Green, and so the interim belt was then put on the line instead. After forcing a standing eight count on Green with a combination of a '' thip'' to the face and punches early in round one, he pounced on his hurt opponent and finished the fight with a flurry of strikes at the 2:13 mark of the opening stanza. Schilling was expected to fight at the Stand Up Promotions' ''World Class Championship Muay Thai'' event in

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...

on August 13, 2011 but he dropped out to fight Brandon Banda for the vacant WBC United States Light Heavyweight (-79.379 kg/175 lb) Championship at ''Lion Fight: Battle in the Desert 3'' in

Primm, Nevada Primm (formerly known as State Line) is an unincorporated community in Clark County, Nevada, United States, primarily notable for its position straddling Interstate 15 where it crosses the state border between California and Nevada. It sits on ...

a week later. The bout was the pair's rubber match as they had gone 1-1 as amateurs, and Schilling took the lead in their rivalry as he knocked his foe unconscious with a knee strike inside the opening round to claim his second national title.

Entry onto the world stage (2011–2012)

Having established himself as an elite fighter domestically, Joe Schilling was matched up with two-time Rajadamnern Stadium Champion and K-1 star

in a WBC Interim World Light Heavyweight Championship bout at the ''M-One: Thailand vs. America'' event held at the

Nokia Theatre L.A. Live Nokia Corporation (natively Nokia Oyj, referred to as Nokia) is a Finnish multinational telecommunications, information technology, and consumer electronics corporation, established in 1865. Nokia's main headquarters are in Espoo, Finland, i ...

on October 21, 2011. The fight was one-sided in favour of Schilling, as he floored the Thai in the opening seconds and again immediately after he beat the referee's eight count. After a period of

clinching In metalworking, clinching or press-joining is a bulk sheet metal forming process aimed at joining thin metal sheets without additional components, using special tools to plastically form an interlock between two or more sheets. The process is ...

, he knocked Kaoklai down for the third time with a right

hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...

towards the end of the round, ending the fight. In January 2012, Schilling and former foe Chaz Mulkey were brought in as

sparring Sparring is a form of training common to many combat sports. Although the precise form varies, it is essentially relatively ' free-form' fighting, with enough rules, customs, or agreements to minimize injuries. By extension, argumentative debate ...

partners for MMA star

Nick Diaz Nickolas Robert Diaz (born August 2, 1983) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Diaz is a former Strikeforce, WEC and IFC welterweight champion ...

ahead of his Interim

UFC Welterweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

match with

Carlos Condit Carlos Joseph Condit (born April 26, 1984) is an American former professional mixed martial artist. He formerly competed in the Welterweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he was the former Interim UFC Welterweight ...

at ''

UFC 143 ''UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit'' was a mixed martial arts event organized by Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 4, 2012 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background An episode of UFC Primetime returned to promote the m ...

''. Joe Schilling and Canada's

went head to head in a bout to determine North America's top Light Heavyweight at ''Lion Fight: Battle in the Desert 5'' in Las Vegas on February 25, 2012. Both men agreed to a "winner takes all" scenario, meaning that whoever came out victorious would take 100% of the fight purse, and the fight ended as controversially as it began. In round one, Marcus tripped Schilling, sending his head slamming into the canvas. As Schilling returned to his feet, clearly hurt from the throw, Marcus stormed in and knocked him down with a left hook. He was able to beat the count but Marcus went on the attack again and knocked Schilling out with a right elbow soon after. After the fight, Schilling's camp made the accusation that the sweep that Marcus used to daze him initially was illegal and appealed to the

Nevada State Athletic Commission The Nevada State Athletic Commission (also known as the Nevada Athletic Commission or NSAC) regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of Nevada, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxers, kickboxers, ...

to have the bout result overturned to a

no contest ' is a legal term that comes from the Latin phrase for "I do not wish to contend". It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense. In criminal trials in certain United States jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neith ...

, which was rejected. Due to the controversy surrounding the ending of their first fight, Schilling and Simon Marcus rematched at ''Lion Fight 6'' in Las Vegas on May 12, 2012 in a bout to determine the number one contender for

Artem Levin Artem Valeryevich Levin (russian: Артё́м Вале́рьевич Ле́вин; born December 8, 1986), also known as Artem "The Lion" Levin, is a Russian middleweight Muay Thai kickboxer fighting out of Prokopyevsk. He is the former Glo ...

's WBC World Light Heavyweight Championship. It was close this time, with both men exchanging menacing shots. Marcus' knees and throws from the clinch would be the deciding factor, however, as he was awarded the

majority decision A majority decision (MD) is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and others sports involving striking. In a majority decision, two of the three judges agree on which ...

(47-47, 48-47, 49-46). Despite losing in the number one contender's match, Schilling was to be given a shot at Artem Levin and his WBC World Light Heavyweight Championship at the ''Battle for the Belts'' event in

Bangkok, Thailand Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...

on June 9, 2012 after Simon Marcus pulled out. However, Levin himself then withdrew due to knee surgery and, while Artem Vakhitov was originally tabbed as his replacement, Karapet Karapetyan eventually stepped in as the final opponent and Schilling's interim title was put on the line. Having dominated every round but the third, Schilling won on the judges' scorecards to make the first defence of his interim belt. In the main event of ''Lion Fight 7'' in Las Vegas on October 13, 2012, he met Eddie Walker in an 82 kg/180 lb bout. Schilling attacked Walker's lead leg from the start and scored knockdowns with elbows in rounds one and two. As Schilling got more aggressive towards the end of round two and began to look for the finish, Walker let his hands go and connected with a short right

cross A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...

which sent Schilling crashing to the canvas in a state of unconsciousness. He was slated to fight Edwin Aguilar at ''Lion Fight 9'' in Las Vegas on March 15, 2013 but was denied a license due to medical concerns by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. It was also reported that he would face Steven Wakeling under Oriental kickboxing rules at '' GLORY 5: London'' in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

on March 23, 2013 but he was replaced by his old foe Simon Marcus in that bout after rejecting the contract from GLORY. He was set to make his return against Charles Byrd at ''Lion Fight 10'' in Las Vegas on July 26, 2013. However, he was removed from the card and the Lion Fight roster when he refused to sign an exclusive contract with the promotion.

GLORY (2013–2016)

Schilling finally made his GLORY debut when he competed in and won the four-man 85 kg/187 lb tournament at '' GLORY 10: Los Angeles - Middleweight World Championship Tournament'' in

Ontario, California Ontario is a city in southwestern San Bernardino County in the U.S. state of California, east of downtown Los Angeles and west of downtown San Bernardino, the county seat. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire metropolitan area, ...

on September 28, 2013. He was scheduled to fight

Steve Wakeling Stephen Wakeling (born 4 October 1983) is an English Middleweight Muay Thai kickboxer, fighting out of Kent, England. He is former British, European and four time World Muay Thai champion. Early life Wakeling's parents were both Muay Thai figh ...

in the semi-finals but the Englishman was unable to compete due to

visa Visa most commonly refers to: *Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company ** Visa Debit card issued by the above company ** Visa Electron, a debit card ** Visa Plus, an interbank network *Travel visa, a document that allows ...

issues and was replaced by

Kengo Shimizu , is a Japanese middleweight kickboxer competing in RISE. He is the former SHOOTBOXING and RISE Heavyweight champion. Kyokushin Karate career Started doing Kyokushin Karate at the age of 16, joining Kyokushin Kaikan Tokyo Itabashi Dojo. Achi ...

. Schilling took a dominant unanimous decision over Shimizu before meeting

in the final. Levin had a strong first round but Schilling bounced back to floor the Russian with a right overhand followed by a knee in the second. The bout was ruled a draw after the regulation three rounds and so it went to an extension round to decide the winner in which Schilling scored a controversial knockdown and secured himself the unanimous decision. He fought up-and-comer

Wayne Barrett Wayne Barrett (July 11, 1945 – January 19, 2017) was an American journalist. He worked as an investigative reporter and senior editor for ''The Village Voice'' for 37 years, until he was laid off in 2011. Early life and education Barre ...

in the main event of '' GLORY 12: New York - Lightweight World Championship Tournament'' in

New York City, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

on November 23, 2013, losing a unanimous decision. Barrett dropped Schilling twice in round two but Schilling rallied back to score a knockdown of his own with a knee in the third. It was too little, too late, however, as he lost the fight on points. It was announced during the '' GLORY 15: Istanbul'' broadcast that Schilling would be one of eight fighters competing in the '' GLORY 17: Los Angeles - Last Man Standing'' Middleweight Tournament in Inglewood on June 21, 2014. It was later revealed that Schilling would face Simon Marcus for the third time in the quarter-finals. He drew Simon Marcus for the third time in the quarter-finals and was floored with a flurry of punches by his Canadian rival in round two. He outworked Marcus in rounds one and three, however, and the judges scored the match a unanimous draw to send it into an extension round to decide the winner. Marcus was docked a point by referee "Big" John McCarthy for dropping his

gumshield A mouthguard is a protective device for the mouth that covers the teeth and gums to prevent and reduce injury to the teeth, arches, lips and gums. An effective mouthguard is like a crash helmet for teeth and jaws. It also prevents the jaws com ...

numerous times and, now forced to go for the knockout, was caught by a counter right cross from Schilling in the last twenty seconds of the fight which left him unconscious on the mat. Rematching Wayne Barrett in the semis, Schilling got revenge on another of his rivals as he took a split decision victory to book his place in the final against the man he faced in the tournament final a year earlier, Artem Levin. Levin scored a first-round knockdown over Schilling with a spinning backfist and was later docked a point by referee Al Wichgers for extensive clinching in round three. It was not enough for Schilling, however, as he lost a clear-cut unanimous decision. Schilling returned to the GLORY ring to face Robert Thomas on February 6, 2015 at GLORY 19: Virginia. He won the fight by unanimous decision.

Bellator MMA (2014–2020)

On October 3, 2014 it was announced that Schilling had signed with

. He made his debut against fellow kickboxer

Melvin Manhoef Melvin Manhoef (born 11 May 1976) is a retired Surinamese-born Dutch mixed martial artist and kickboxer. In kickboxing, he is a former It's Showtime Middleweight Champion, and in MMA he was the Cage Rage Light Heavyweight Champion. In mixed mar ...

on November 15, 2014 at

Bellator 131 2014 in Bellator MMA was the tenth season for Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion. It began on February 28, 2014 and aired on Spike TV. The season included tournaments for the Heavyweight, Welterweight, Featherweight, Light Heavyweigh ...

. Schilling won the back-and-forth fight via knockout in the second round. In his second fight for the promotion, Schilling faced Rafael Carvalho on April 10, 2015 at Bellator 136. He lost the back and forth fight via split decision. In his third fight for the promotion, Schilling faced promotional newcomer

Hisaki Kato is a Japanese-French professional mixed martial artist and kickboxer who most recently competed in Bellator's Middleweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2013, he has also competed for Rizin. Background Born and raised in Pari ...

at Bellator 139 on June 26, 2015. Schilling lost the fight via knockout in the second round. This marked the first time Schilling has been knocked out in a mixed martial arts match. Schilling made his return to Bellator on November 30, 2018 at Bellator 210 facing Will Morris He won the fight via technical knockout due to corner stoppage. Schilling faced Keith Berry at Bellator 219 on March 29, 2019. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Schilling faced Tony Johnson at Bellator 229 on October 4, 2019. He lost the fight via knockout in the third round. Schilling was scheduled to face

Curtis Millender Curtis Marquir Millender (born December 1, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor since 2013, Millender has formerly competed in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Bellato ...

at Bellator 249 on October 15, 2020. However, the bout was scrapped as Schilling's license was denied by the athletic commission. Bellator MMA announced on October 27, 2020, that Schilling had been released from the promotion.

Bellator Kickboxing (2016–2017)

On June 24, 2016, Schilling made his debut for

facing

in a rematch at Bellator Kicking 2. He lost the fight via knockout due to a spinning back fist in the second round.

Personal life

Schilling has two sons, Joe and Jax, with his fiancée Cina Brown. He is a cigarette smoker, an unusual trait for a professional fighter, and also uses

marijuana Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...

. He appeared in a minor role in the 2016 film '' Kickboxer: Vengeance''.

Street altercations

Following his Bellator Kickboxing 4 win over Vittorio Iermano at the

Nelson Mandela Forum Nelson Mandela Forum, formerly Palazzetto dello sport di Firenze and Palasport, is an indoor sports arena that is located in Florence, Italy. Inaugurated in 1985, the arena was renamed to Nelson Mandela Forum in 2004. The seating capacity of th ...

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

, Italy on December 10, 2016, Schilling and two of his coaches were involved in a street altercation outside the venue with a group of seven locals. In September 2020, Schilling posted an

Instagram Live Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can be ...

video showing himself kicking a homeless man on a street, and claiming that he attacked the man after finding the victim using a sex toy in the showers of Schilling's gym. Footage emerged on June 28, 2021 showing Schilling punching and knocking unconscious Justin Balboa, a 31-year-old bar patron who was described as being "extremely intoxicated" in a

Fort Lauderdale Police Department Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth ...

report, in a bar in

Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth ...

the previous night. Balboa was hospitalized with a head injury. Schilling claimed self-defense, saying that he was "scared for islife" and "simply defending imselfagainst the evil in this world". On July 1, Balboa filed a personal injury lawsuit in

Broward County Broward County ( , ) is a county in the southeastern part of Florida, located in the Miami metropolitan area. It is Florida's second-most populous county after Miami-Dade County and the 17th-most populous in the United States, with over 1.94 m ...

circuit court against Schilling for battery, and the bar where the incident took place for negligence.

Championships and awards

Kickboxing

* GLORY ** 2013 GLORY Middleweight (-85 kg/187.4 lb) World Championship Tournament Champion ** 2014 GLORY Middleweight (-85 kg/187.4 lb) Last Man Standing Tournament Runner-up *Muay Thai Association of America **MTAA United States Super Middleweight (-75 kg/165 lb) Championship *

World Boxing Council Muaythai In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...

**WBC Muaythai World Super Middleweight (-76.204 kg/168 lb) Championship **WBC Muaythai United States Light Heavyweight (-79.379 kg/175 lb) Championship **WBC Muaythai Interim World Light Heavyweight (-79.379 kg/175 lb) Championship

Mixed Martial Arts

*'
Combat Press
'' **2014 Knockout of the Year

Boxing record

, - , - style="background:#c5d2ea;" , 2009-03-21 , , Draw , , align=left, Tyrell Hendrix , ,

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, ,

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. B ...

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, ,

, US , , KO , , 1 , , 0:05 , , 1–0 , - , - , colspan=9 , ''Legend'':

Kickboxing record

, - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2017-12-9 , , Win , , align=left,

Filip Verlinden Filip Verlinden (born 26 December 1982) is a Belgian kickboxer who competes in the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions. Verlinden was introduced to the sport at an early age and came to prominence in 2008 when he won the WKA European Super C ...

, , Bellator Kickboxing 8: Florence , , Florence, Italy , , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , , 23–9 , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2017-9-23 , , Win , , align=left, Najib Idali , , Bellator Kickboxing 7: San Jose , ,

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...

, , TKO (doctor stoppage) , , 2 , , 3:00 , , 22–9 , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2017-4-14 , , Win , , align=left, Alexandru Negrea , , Bellator Kickboxing 6: Budapest, ,

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

, , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , , 21–9 , - , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2016-12-10 , , Win , , align=left, Vittorio Iermano , , Bellator Kickboxing 4: Florence, ,

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, , TKO (strikes) , , 1 , , 2:43 , , 20–9 , - , - bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 2016-06-24 , , Loss , , align=left,

, , Bellator Kickboxing 2: St. Louis , , St. Louis, Missouri, USA , , KO (spinning back fist) , , 2 , , 2:59 , , 19–9 , - , - bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 2016-05-13 , , Loss , , align=left,

Jason Wilnis Jason Wilnis (born 10 December 1990) is a Dutch professional mixed martial artist and former kickboxer of Surinamese descent competing in the Middleweight division. He is the last It's Showtime 85MAX champion and former Glory Middleweight Ch ...

, , GLORY 30: Los Angeles , ,

, US , , Decision (majority) , , 3 , , 3:00 , , 19–8 , - , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2016-02-26 , , Win , , align=left, Mike Lemaire , , GLORY 27: Chicago , ,

Hoffman Estates, Illinois Hoffman Estates is a village in Illinois, United States. The village is located primarily in Cook County, with a small section in Kane County. It is a suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 52,530. The village now serves a ...

, US , , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , , 19–7 , - , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2015-10-09 , , Win , , align=left,

, , GLORY 24: Denver , ,

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, US , , TKO (injury) , , 2 , , 3:00 , , 18–7 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2015-02-06 , , Win , , align=left, Robert Thomas , , GLORY 19: Virginia , ,

Hampton, Virginia Hampton () is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 137,148. It is the List ...

, US , , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , , 17–7 , - , - bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 2014-06-21 , , Loss , , align=left,

, , Glory 17: Los Angeles - Last Man Standing, Final , ,

, US , , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , , 16–7 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2014-06-21 , , Win , , align=left,

, , Glory 17: Los Angeles - Last Man Standing, Semi Finals , ,

, US , , Decision (split) , , 3 , , 3:00 , , 16–6 , - , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2014-06-21 , , Win , , align=left,

, , Glory 17: Los Angeles - Last Man Standing, Quarter Finals , ,

, US , , KO (right cross) , , 4 , , 2:41 , , 15–6 , - , - bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 2013-11-23 , , Loss , , align=left,

, , Glory 12: New York - Lightweight World Championship Tournament , ,

, US , , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , , 14–6 , - , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2013-09-28 , , Win , , align=left,

, , Glory 10: Los Angeles - Middleweight World Championship Tournament, Final , ,

, US , , Extension round decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , , 14–5 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2013-09-28 , , Win , , align=left,

, , Glory 10: Los Angeles - Middleweight World Championship Tournament, Semi Finals , ,

, US , , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , , 13–5 , - , - bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 2012-10-13 , , Loss , , align=left, Eddie Walker , , Lion Fight 7 , ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, US , , KO (right cross) , , 2 , , 2:13 , , 12–5 , - , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2012-06-09 , , Win , , align=left,

Karapet Karapetyan Karapet Karapetyan ( hy, Կարապետ Կարապետյան; born 28 November 1982), also known as Karapet Papijan is an Armenian-Dutch kickboxer who competes in the super middleweight and light heavyweight divisions. A professional since 200 ...

, , Battle for the Belts , ,

, , Decision , , 5 , , 3:00 , , 12–4 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - , - bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 2012-05-12 , , Loss , , align=left,

, , Lion Fight 6 , ,

, US , , Decision (majority) , , 5 , , 3:00 , , 11–4 , - , - bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 2012-02-25 , , Loss , , align=left,

, , Lion Fight: Battle in the Desert 5 , ,

, US , , KO (right elbow) , , 1 , , 2:50 , , 11–3 , - , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2011-10-21 , , Win , , align=left,

, , M-One: Thailand vs. America , ,

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, US , , TKO (referee stoppage) , , 1 , , 2:43 , , 11–2 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2011-08-20 , , Win , , align=left, Brandon Banda , , Lion Fight: Battle in the Desert 3 , ,

, US , , KO (right knee) , , 1 , , 2:38 , , 10–2 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2011-03-05 , , Win , , align=left, Chase Green , , MTAA Muay Thai National Championships , ,

, US , , TKO (referee stoppage) , , 1 , , 2:13 , , 9–2 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2010-12-05 , , Win , , align=left,

, , King's Birthday Celebration , ,

, US , , TKO (referee stoppage) , , 3 , , 1:06 , , 8–2 , - , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2010-10-24 , , Win , , align=left, Luciano Vazquez , , Bangrajan Fights,

, ,

, , TKO (referee stoppage) , , 4 , , N/A , , 7–2 , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2010-09-26 , , Win , , align=left, Ryan Roy , , MTAA National Muay Thai Championships , ,

, US , , TKO (referee stoppage) , , 2 , , N/A , , 6–2 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - , - bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 2009-08-30 , , Loss , , align=left, Wang Hong Xiang , , WCK World Championship Muay Thai , ,

, US , , TKO (referee stoppage) , , 2 , , 2:54 , , 5–2 , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2009-06-13 , , Win , , align=left, Chris Spång , , WCK: Full Rules Muaythai , ,

, US , , TKO (corner stoppage) , , 2 , , 3:00 , , 5–1 , - , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2009-04-25 , , Win , , align=left,

, , Dominant Knockout 1 , ,

Irving, Texas Irving is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. Located in Dallas County, it is also an inner ring suburb of Dallas. The city of Irving is part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. According to a 2019 estimate from the United States Census Bureau, ...

, US , , Decision (unanimous) , , 5 , , 3:00 , , 4–1 , - bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 2007-11-29 , , Loss , , align=left, Denis Grachev , , WCK: Full Rules Muay Thai , ,

, US , , KO (spinning heel kick to the body) , , 1 , , 0:47 , , 3–1 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2007-07-07 , , Win , , align=left, Neil Chatchaiyan , , WCK World Championship Muay Thai: Hot Summer Fights , ,

, US , , TKO (referee stoppage) , , 4 , , 1:36 , , 3–0 , - , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2007-04-05 , , Win , , align=left, Gary Wheeler , , WCK: Full Rules Muay Thai , ,

, US , , TKO (cut) , , 3 , , 0:53 , , 2–0 , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2006-09-30 , , Win , , align=left, Lawson Baker , , World Championship Muay Thai: Ultimate Conquest , ,

, US , , Decision (split) , , 4 , , 3:00 , , 1–0 , - , - , colspan=9 , ''Legend'':

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 4–6 , Tony Johnson , KO (punch) , Bellator 229 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:07 ,

Temecula, California Temecula (; es, Temécula, ; Luiseño: ''Temeekunga'') is a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, United States. The city had a population of 110,003 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and was Municipal corporation, i ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–5 , Keith Berry , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 219 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–5 , Will Morris , TKO (corner stoppage) , Bellator 210 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Thackerville, Oklahoma Thackerville is a town in Love County, Oklahoma. It is located in South Central Oklahoma. The population was 445 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ardmore, Oklahoma Micropolitan Statistical Area. Geography Thackerville is located at (33. ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 2–5 ,

, KO (Superman punch) , Bellator 139 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:34 ,

Mulvane, Kansas Mulvane is a city in Sedgwick and Sumner counties in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 6,286. History Mulvane was laid out in 1879 at the junction of five Santa Fe rail lines. It is named for ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 2–4 , Rafael Carvalho , Decision (split) , Bellator 136 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Irvine, California Irvine () is a Planned community, master-planned city in South Orange County, California, United States, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the 1960s and the city was formally incorporated on ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–3 ,

, KO (punch) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:32 ,

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 1–3 , Damion Douglas , Submission (rear-naked choke) , ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:46 ,

Santa Ynez, California Santa Ynez (; Spanish for "St. Agnes") is a census-designated place (CDP) in the Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara County, California. The town of Santa Ynez is one of the communities of the Santa Ynez Valley. It features the Santa Ynez Airport ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 1–2 ,

Tony Ferguson Anthony Armand Ferguson Padilla (born February 12, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a former Interim UFC Lightweight C ...

, Submission (

Von Flue choke A chokehold, choke, stranglehold or, in Judo, shime-waza ( ja, 絞技, translation=constriction technique) is a general term for a grappling hold that critically reduces or prevents either air (choking)''The New Oxford Dictionary of English'' ( ...

) , TFA 12 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:12 ,

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–1 , Maurice Doucette , Submission (triangle choke) , CXF: Uprising in Upland , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:38 ,

Upland, California Upland is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States on the border with neighboring Los Angeles County. The municipality is located at an elevation of 1,242 feet (379 m). As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 79,040 ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 0–1 , Matt Makowski , Submission (rear-naked choke) , ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:01 ,

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

, United States ,

References

External links

Official Lion Fight profile

Can't Stop Crazy profile
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Schilling, Joe 1984 births Living people Boxers from Ohio Boxers from Los Angeles Super-middleweight boxers American male kickboxers Kickboxers from Ohio Kickboxers from California Middleweight kickboxers Light heavyweight kickboxers American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from Ohio Mixed martial artists from California Welterweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Muay Thai Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu American Muay Thai practitioners American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Sportspeople from Dayton, Ohio Sportspeople from Los Angeles American male boxers Glory kickboxers