Combat sports veteran Joe
Schilling has scored his most recent victory not in a ring or
cage, but in court.
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Schilling was involved in an altercation with a bar patron named
Justin Balboa in June 2021, which ended with the Bellator
MMA and Glory Kickboxing veteran knocking out the man at a bar
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Balboa filed a civil lawsuit against
Schilling for battery after being hospitalized with a head injury.
After widely-distributed videos showed the bar altercation,
Schilling claimed the man he hit provoked him with threatening
gestures after using a racial slur toward a bar employee. Nearly
two years after the events, Schilling’s actions have been declared
as an act of self-defense by Broward County circuit court judge
Fabienne E. Fahnestock. “Stich ‘Em Up” was justified to use the
necessary to neutralize the threat according to Florida’s
stand-your-ground law.
The 39-year-old Schilling expressed happiness on his social media
accounts, stating he refuses “to be bullied” by anyone.
“I’m glad it’s finally over. For the last two years my name and
character has been disparaged in the media, seem like everyone
loves the narrative that a professional fighter just beat up some
innocent person, which was [so] not the case. Most people told me
to just settle it and pay him off as that would be easier. I don’t
like [bullies] and I refuse to be bullied by anyone. The ambulance
chasing crumb bum of a lawyer he hired threatened to ruin me
financially and well the only person he financially ruined was his
client. I just hope that all of the news outlets that were so quick
to post click bait articles assassinating my character have the
same energy now that the truth is out. Justin Balboa is and will
always be a f***ing loser.”
In his career, Schilling piled up a 23-9 professional kickboxing
record and a 4-6 record in mixed martial arts. Among other
accomplishments, Schilling won the Glory Kickboxing middleweight
tournament in 2013.