Joe Schilling competed under the GLORY Kickboxing banner for nearly three years and was arguably one of the promotion’s biggest names, but was not happy with the treatment he received closer to the tail end of his GLORY tenure. In a recent interview with BloodyElbow.com’s The MMA Circus, he expressed his strong distaste for the company by calling it a “dog-sh-t promotion” and also added that any current GLORY fighters “will feel the same way shortly.”
Schilling also claimed that, had he not accepted two fights after his contract expired, a stipulation in his contract would have refrained him from signing with another promotion for six months.
“I only did those two fights with GLORY because they had stipulations in their contract and they were going to block me from making a living for six months,” he said. “And they knew that, and they openly said that. After all I had done for them, for them to say that to me, and do that, was wrong.”
Also in the interview, Schilling claimed GLORY paid its commentators to talk negatively of him in his last GLORY appearance. He said the commentators appeared to be biased as they talked poorly of his performance and brought up his controversial childhood.
“They tried to devalue me as much as possible. But what they actually did in the process was destroy their own credibility. Everybody that saw that fight knows I won that fight. It was just ridiculous, sad.”
But GLORY founder and chairman Pierre Andurand believes otherwise. In a statement sent to BloodyElbow.com, Andurand responded to Schilling’s accusations:
“I am sorry to read you feel that way Joe,” he wrote. “I can see that you are a big fan of conspiracy theories. I enjoy some too once in a while. But you know full well that promotions are not in control of referees and judges, and that commentators, mainly of this level, are paid to comment on what they see. I know you are upset you lost your last fight, but it is what it is. The things about your childhood were written on your bio on your own website, so why would that suddenly be devaluing you?
“I always liked you as a fighter Joe. You brought exciting fights. I have a very different memory of your relationship with GLORY. I remember you crying when you won your first tournament saying that this money changed your life. That you did not have money to pay for gas to go to the event before that. You fought 10 times for GLORY. Financially you were then much more comfortable. Your fights were hyped up. GLORY invested a lot in you. And now you bite the hand that fed you… Anyway, I really wish you the best in your career with Bellator and in your future endeavors.”
Although Andurand denied any wrongdoing in the commentary booth, it should be noted he did not necessarily deny Schilling’s claims of poor fighter treatment by GLORY in the above statement.
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