Bellator 229 will not go down as one of the better nights in Joe Schilling’s combat sports career.
Schilling (4-6 MMA, 3-3 BMMA), the former kickboxing champion turned MMA fighter, suffered a brutal third-round knockout loss to Tony Johnson (9-2 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) on Friday at Bellator 229, which took place at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif., and aired on Paramount following prelims on MMA Junkie.
The fight was seemingly going his way until Johnson landed a devastating fight-ending shot that put the lights out. After the loss, Schilling revealed in a social media video that he barely made it to the cage to compete.
“I’m having a hard time making this video to be honest because it kind of goes against everything I stand for,” Schilling said. “But I do have some things I need to let out of the bag. I was planning on talking to ‘Big’ John McCarthy about this in the ring when I won, but for the last two weeks I haven’t been able to use my right arm. I’ve been at OC Fight Doctor getting therapy to try to straighten out my right arm and get anti-inflammatory injections in my right hand, my right arm won’t extend all the way. I thought I was going to be able to find a way to get the job done.
“I’m also really sick. Anybody who was in my locker room, and anyone in Tony Johnson’s locker room could probably hear me hacking up, throwing up in the trash can for my warmup. I kept telling myself I was going to find a way to win and I thought I came close. But Tony Johnson did a great job tonight. Congratulations to him.”
Schilling entered the cage at Bellator 229 with damage to his arm, he said, and left with even more. A spinning backfist attempt in the first round left Schilling with a broken left arm, and a splint was placed on at a local hospital.
The result snapped a two-fight winning streak for Schilling, has committed full-time in MMA after a lengthy kickboxing career and dabbling back-and-forth between the sports.
In hindsight Schilling said he questions his decision to fight at Bellator 229, but in the moment ahead of time couldn’t pull himself out of the tunnel vision of wanting to compete.
“I just wanted to apologize to my fans and management and sponsors that I didn’t look like myself out there and I got caught,” Schilling said. “That’s part of the game. I just explained that to my son. That’s what makes this sport so (expletive) gangster, and I’m one of the most gangster mother(expletive) you’ll ever meet. Looking back I probably should’ve pulled out of the fight, but I kept telling myself I would get the job done.”
It’s unknown how long the trauma of the knockout along with Schilling’s arm injuries will keep him out of action. He said he already knows what he wants next, though, and that’s a rematch with Johnson.
“I would like an immediate rematch as soon as possible,” Schilling said. “I’m sorry to anyone I let down.”
