Joe Schilling returns to the cage at Bellator 136, and after an impressive organizational debut, there will be a lot of eyes on him when the bell sounds. His MMA record is still below .500 (2-3), but he could turn out to be a Bellator star.
Despite his impressive striking credentials outside of MMA, I stated bluntly he was a “lamb being led to slaughter” against Melvin Manhoef. Schilling made me eat crow—a lot of it.
He was submitted in three of his four prior MMA bouts. While I knew Manhoef would not be taking him to the canvas, I felt as if the experience would make it an easy fight for the powerful striking. Schilling ate an early barrage and then finished him promptly in the second round.
That is what gives me hope for his future.
No one in the middleweight division will hit him harder than Manhoef, and Schilling survived his bout with him. He has a good chin, and his ability to recover quickly is crucial. He just has to improve his defensive wrestling to become a true threat in Bellator.
On Friday, Schilling meets Rafael Carvalho (10-1).
This should be another electric stand-up fight. Carvalho has finished nine of his 10 opponents by TKO, but his striking is not on Schilling’s level. This is a great matchup to see where both men’s grappling ability is. Carvalho is not an accomplished wrestler, but against Schilling, that may be his best path to victory. It would not be shocking to see Carvalho play the role of grappler.
If Schilling can avoid the grappling exchanges, this should be his fight. He is just a better striker than Carvalho.
Bellator needs a Schilling victory. He can breathe life back into the middleweight division and has the personality of a potential star. He is a fun fighter to watch, and if he continues to develop his all-around MMA skill set, he could become a legitimate threat to Brandon Halsey’s crown.
That potential fight is still a ways off.
First, Schilling has to get past Carvalho in a stylistically favorable matchup. He set the bar for himself against Manhoef, and now everyone is expecting him to clear it. It is a tall order for the 31-year-old, but Bellator has set him up nicely to succeed.
Schilling can earn his second straight victory this Friday, and he will.
The co-main event on Spike TV is set up to showcase Schilling, a star they will invest a lot in with Bellator, GLORY and Premier Boxing Champions. Carvalho won’t go quietly, but he wasn’t brought in to knock off Schilling.
The co-main event of Friday’s Bellator action is all about Schilling and showcasing his improvements. There may not be a more scary contender in Bellator than Schilling, and his lethal stand-up skills will shine again on Friday.
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