“I want to fight Joe Wilk to show how well rounded I am and to see how much I learned from those losses. I need to know where I am at compared to where I want to be,” Carrillo said.

Carrillo will be taking on legendary motor mouth Joe ‘The Nose’ Wilk in the co-main event of the evening. Wilk, who is widely known for his pre-fight trash talking, will surely be unleashing some verbal assaults soon.

Is Carrillo worried about what is to come?

“If it was anyone else but Joe, it would bother me. I know the real Joe, he’s just trying to sell tickets. This is all just fun and games for him. Whatever he says or does, it won’t bother me,” Carrillo said.

An accomplished wrestler, Carrillo comes into Titan 21 with the weight of his losses on his shoulders, but a deeper connection to his past keeps him reaching for new heights.

“I started wrestling at seven years old. It’s funny but one of the main reasons I got into this and keep doing it is because I felt like I didn’t accomplish everything I wanted to in my wrestling career. I got hurt when I was ranked third in the nation and that meant I couldn’t go All American, I couldn’t compete for a national trophy. That’s never stopped bugging me,” he said.

There is no mistaking that this fight is a chance to reignite Carrillo’s career and while he knows that stopping his two fight winless streak with a victory over Wilk would be ideal, he isn’t coming in with any misapprehensions.

“Joe knows how to take punches and give them. I respect Joe and I am really grateful to be fighting him. Joe’s a veteran and he’s good in all aspects of the game. But he hasn’t fought someone like me. I think I’m one of the most athletic guys he will have ever fought. He knows how to fight and it’s going to be fireworks for fifteen minutes. Or, if it doesn’t go fifteen minutes, I’m getting my hand raised before that,” Carrillo said.

Looking back at his two losses, Carrillo believes that he has come out the other side a stronger and more knowledgeable fighter.

“One of the losses I took on twenty four hours notice and had to cut fifteen pounds in that time. I learned more from that loss than any of my wins. Every day I think I should be one of the best. I want to prove to other people where I know I’m at. Lots of people want me to take some slump fights to build back up my record, and I don’t want that. I want guys like Joe. I want to show what I’ve learned,” he said.

While many in the fight community would marvel at the idea of cutting fifteen pounds on twenty four hours notice, Carrillo faces a much more difficult task day in and day out now.

“We just had a son five months ago. He’s a really good kid. It’s tough but dealing with a newborn is actually pretty fun,” Carrillo laughed though admitted that he wasn’t looking forward to the combination of sleepless nights and the upcoming weight cut.

But in the end Carrillo knows all the sweat, tears and blood will be worth it when he gets to showcase his talents once more in front of his friends and family, a night that will be made even more special with his older brother, Cody Carrillo, fighting on the same card.

“All the practice and skills come together on that night, and it’s almost like art to see. I can’t wait,” he said.

Carrillo trains out of Leawood, Kansas at HD Mixed Martial Arts (named for owners Jason High and LC Davis). He wanted to thank Title MMA, Zang Zoo clothing, Animal Instinct Sportswear, Chiropractor Dr. Tomlinson (Kansas City, KS) and Disorderly Conduct Management.  Fans can follow Andrew Carrillo on Twitter @carrillo145.

Will Andrew Carrillo be able to right the ship and start another winning streak or will the wily veteran Joe ‘The Nose’ Wilk shut down another up and comer? Find out live on HD Net, March 2 when the two meet in the co-main event of Titan Fighting Championship 21.