Joe Schilling's first MMA fight since 2019 ended in controversy. | PFL MMA


Joe Schilling’s first mixed martial arts appearance in more than six years ended in unusual fashion at PFL Brussels.

Schilling was on his back during a light heavyweight matchup against Donegi Abena when his opponent headbutted him while inside guard. “Stitch ‘Em Up” was visibly angry as the bout was halted due to the foul. The fight appeared ready to resume after referee Mike Beltran took a point from Abena, but Schilling decided to call it quits when the fighters were repositioned on the canvas. As a result, Schilling suffered a technical knockout loss due to retirement at the 36-second mark of Round 1.

😱 C'EST DU JAMAIS VU !

Joe Schilling met fin au combat après avoir pris un coup de tête de son adversaire, parce qu'il n'est pas d'accord avec la position pour reprendre l'action ! pic.twitter.com/hggZdvQlsU— RMC Sport Combat (@RMCSportCombat) May 23, 2026

'One of the Coolest Moments of My Life'

The former Glory Kickboxing standout reacted to the incident in a post on Instagram.

"One of the coolest moments of my life," Schilling wrote."Everything else is just noise. I know exactly who I am and so does my family. Most of you talking s—t couldn’t hold my jock strap. My opponent also [knows] exactly who he is and that’s on him. God Bless.”

Schilling hadn’t competed in MMA since Oct. 4, 2019, when he suffered a 36-second TKO defeat to Tony Johnson at Bellator 229. The 42-year-old Californian is 4-7 in MMA overall, with his most notable victory coming via second-round KO over Melvin Manhoef in November 2014.

The fight was Abena’s pro MMA debut.

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A post shared by Joe Schilling 🦍 (@joe_schilling)

The Professional Fighters League landed in Brussels, Belgium, on Saturday, bringing in a hometown favorite in the main event as Patrick Habirora took on a legend in former Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Extreme Cagefighting champ Benson Henderson. Three fighters stood out the most, two of which had Belgian roots and laid the groundwork that should see them with high-level competition moving forward.

Here are the matches to make following PFL Belgium:

Patrick Habirora vs. Florim Zendeli

After his 20 second knockout, Habriora needs to get himself an opportunity to crack into the Top 5 as he’s working into title contention. Zendeli is coming off a loss to former champion Logan Storley who is no longer with the promotion, and could be a great test with his wrestling skill base. Habirora used up little energy in his main event win over Henderson, which lasted just 20 seconds, so he could get a quick turnaround.

Related » PFL Brussels round-by-round scoring

Taylor Lapilus vs. Renat Khavalov

After defeating Jake Hadley across three rounds on Saturday, Lapilus has put himself in a no-doubt situation as the next title challenger. For a bantamweight division with no champion, Lapilus should face Khavalov, who is also coming off a big win when he defeated Raufeon Stots earlier this year. Newcomer Mitch McKee could also be in the mix for a title fight opportunity but after just one fight in the promotion, he may need a couple more bouts on his resume before that can happen.

Boris Mbarga Atangana vs. Fabian Edwards

Making an emphatic middleweight debut against Jared Gooden, Atangana put him away with a brutal and quick technical knockout victory. Atangana could be a title contender in both middleweight and light heavyweight divisions, but in order to get there, he’s going to have to face top contenders who have been there, like Edwards. Coming off a losing effort to Costello van Steenis, Edwards is a great veteran matchup to offer a real test for where Atangana stands among potential title challengers. Edwards has a world of experience and has fought the very best, now he can look towards a young and rising prospect in Atangana who made it clear he’s ready for another leap up in competition.