Alejandro Avila
Videos by OutKick
MMA fighter Joe Schilling is getting sued for $30,000 after knocking out a bar patron. The lawsuit was first filed on July 1, following the incident from June 27.
Justin Balboa, 31, filed legal against Schilling after a violent altercation at a bar in Fort Lauderdale left him with multiple injuries, including a busted lip.
As shown in the video, Schilling unintentionally bumps into a wobbling and intoxicated Balboa. The two briefly exchange words before a frenzied Schilling strikes Balboa with a clear shot to the face, knocking out the patron.
The footage was captured by Schilling’s group, which Balboa claimed was part of a pre-meditated attack from the MMA fighter.
While the video displays an eagerness from Schilling to cut the bar patron off for the night, Balboa’s criminal record detailed a past incident, also at a bar, that led to a previous altercation involving the plastered plaintiff.
Balboa’s legal team added in the lawsuit that Schilling’s MMA training put their client at great risk of injury. They described Schilling as “uniquely skilled and trained to be brutally efficient and abnormally dangerous with his bare hands.”
Schilling went on Instagram to share what happened during the scene, also accusing Balboa of pestering his group and accused of shouting slurs during his drunken epithets. Schilling also received a message from a supposed ex of Balboa’s, with a troubling account of the man’s past.
Also spotted in police footage following the incident, Balboa spent two minutes with authorities slurring through his side of the story, with blood spotted on his shirt and a questionable accent.
Joey Balboa’s recent lesson learned as that guy at a bar should be an inspiration to stick with being a lightweight on the barstool over one on the canvas.
It sounded as if Rocky said something to Schilling when he walked by. After Schilling turned around, the video shows Rocky feigning with his shoulder as though he’s going to throw a punch.
Me thinks a drunk acted drunk and a K.O. was next, and deserved.
I hate “obnoxious bar guy” as much as the next person but Joe D totally gonna lose this one. He clearly initiated contact walking by and didn’t seem to make any attempt to ask the guy to move, he just brushed/pushed the guy out of the way and then he went off on the guy without any visible sign that he was in danger. Excessive use of force. Joe looks like the bully here
Yeah the guy may be a drunken idiot but he’s harmless. There’s no need in a trained professional fighter being that excessive.
Exactly. This isn’t like one of us scuffling with a guy for messing with his wife or girlfriend. He wasn’t standing up for anyone or protecting himself. Please. He just crushed this little dude over nothing like a meathead. Get your checkbook ready.
Schilling will be getting his checkbook out real soon.
From my viewpoint Shilling tried to walk by a sloppy drunk guy who was blocking his path, he then bumped the guy but continued walking past, then the drunk guy ran his mouth, Joe turned around, drunk guy made a fighting move, shrugged shoulders, and started to raise his hands, and Joe gave him 1,2 combo. Him being an MMA fighter should have nothing to do with it. If you can’t walk the walk don’t talk the talk. Drunk guy got what he deserved.
I thought I was going to watch a guy provoking a fight, but based on the video Schilling had plenty of opportunity to keep walking away but went back at a guy hitting him without being attacked first. Furthermore he was WAY bigger than that shrimp. What are you proving there? Who cares what a 5’6” 140 dude says? Leave. I get that this guy’s a douche, but Schilling could literally kill someone in that situation and over absolutely nothing. You can do that, but you’re going to get sued for assault every time. I thought martial arts guys were trained to use restraint and only protect themselves or others? Take it easy bro!
LOL pro mma fighters aren’t trained to walk away the big mouth learned a life lesson not likely to forget anytime soon.
He was probably a little rougher than he should have been with the get out of my way push, but drunk dude being drunk yelled about it, and instead of realizing “oh shit this guy is 8 inches taller than me” makes a fighting move and got the response that would have gotten.
Schilling has a much shorter fuse than most people it seems, but you can make a case for mutual combat. Whether 6 or 12 people (I’m too lazy to look up Florida jury rules) buy that case is a different matter altogether.