Joe Schilling

Joseph Francis Schilling is an American professional Muay Thai kickboxer and mixed martial artist who most recently competed for Bellator Kickboxing in the Middleweight division, and in the Middleweight division for Bellator MMA. He was released from Bellator in October 2020 after the Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulations refused to grant him a license to fight. Known for his use of elbows 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 to become the WBC Muay Thai Interim World Light Heavyweight Champion in 2011. His profile further increased the following year when he engaged in a controversial rivalry with Simon Marcus. As of November 1, 2018, he was ranked the #7 middleweight kickboxer in the world by media outlet Combat Press; the ranking is not reflective of any official sanctioned sports body. Schilling gained notoriety for a 2021 bar altercation where he assaulted a fellow patron.