Minnesota's "Thrilling" Pat Schilling got the call of a lifetime a few weeks ago.

After years of hard work and dedication, Schilling got the call from the biggest promotion on the planet, the UFC.

On short notice, Schilling made his UFC debut on Jan. 20 during UFC on FX I. Schilling's fight was part of the live TV broadcast on FUEL.

The fight didn't got as Schilling had hoped, with the Ambition MMA product suffering a first-round submission loss due to rear-naked choke.

But Schilling, who dropped to 5-2 with the loss, is hopeful he will get another shot with the UFC after signing a four-fight deal with the organization.

Despite the loss, Schilling said it's a week he'll never forget.

Pat, thanks for the time. Are you back to training or are you taking some time off?

SCHILLING: I'll be back (this week). I was getting over a cold when I got back, too. But I was

fortunate that I didn't take too much damage in the fight, so that won't slow me down. I had a couple of bumps on my head, but that's it.

When did it finally sink in that you are now a UFC fighter?

SCHILLING: Well, the whole thing was definitely surreal. When I got the call, I was at work (at Best Buy), on the sales floor. Even when I knew it was happening, it wasn't really sinking in that I'm a UFC fighter. I'm still trying to figure it all out. But it was definitely the coolest week ever.

What were some of the highlights from the week leading up to the event?

SCHILLING: There were a bunch of them. When I first got there, I got a bag of gear from the UFC. That was a nice start. Then we had to sit down and sign 130 event posters. That took a long time. I'd say my autograph looked terrible in 90 percent of them because we were trying to go so fast and keep things moving. Honestly, most of the week was spent in the hotel room. I didn't hit the town too much. We didn't do much until weigh-ins on Thursday. That was a lot of fun meeting so many of the fighters. They let us know what was going on and what to expect. When I was there, I got to stand next to the ringcard girls. I didn't mind that. Weigh-ins were really just a cool experience. I didn't get a lot of time with Dana (White) or Joe Silva at weigh-ins, other than shaking their hands. But then we did the faceoff, and that's fun because it's something you don't usually get to do at the local level. Fight night itself was pretty crazy. It went by so fast, and then all the sudden I was fighting.

How were your nerves before the fight?

SCHILLING: I felt OK actually. I don't usually get super nervous before fights. Even at that level, I wasn't too nervous before the fight. Butterflies started a little and I finally started to think about it when I heard my music start playing. But really, it was just fun for me. I used to watch WWF as a kid, and I always thought it would be so cool to have my intro music playing and me giving high-fives to the fans. And I got to live that. I wasn't nervous at all when I got in the cage. I just had fun doing what I love to do.

After the loss, what's your status with the UFC? Did they give you an indication as to whether they want you back?

SCHILLING: As of now, I'm still under contract. I signed a four-fight deal. Of course, when you lose, they can guy you just like that. But right now I'm still under contract. I expect to be called back, especially because I took the fight on short notice. I know the outcome wasn't what I wanted, but I didn't feel like I looked severely overmatched. I think they'll have me back. It seems like now they give most guys two fights. ... They didn't give me any indications afterward. I really didn't get a chance to talk to (the UFC people) after my fight because they were busy running around trying to run the rest of the show.

What did you know about Daniel Pineda going into the fight?

SCHILLING: I knew he had more experience than me. That's what a lot of people talked about. I knew he had a lot more fights, and I saw plenty of tape on those earlier fights, though not many of his recent fights. It looked like he was going to rush in to take me down, so I was expecting to go to the ground with him. But I thought I was the better wrestler and on the ground, but it didn't work out that way. I knew he had quick hands, and that he had cut more weight. But with a short-notice fight, it's tough to get too much game-planning in.

Have you had a chance to watch the tape yet? And what were your thoughts?

SCHILLING: I think way too many things when I watch the tape. I don't even have to watch TV anymore, I see it in my head when I sleep. He's an opponent that was beatable, but I didn't do it. I didn't think my standup looked bad. I hit him with that short right hook right away that rocked him. My feet improved quite a bit. But I made a crucial mistake. It wasn't necessarily that I got taken down, it was more that I tried to re-guard way too fast. Next time, I'll take my time. I tried to re-guard, and that allowed him to take mount right away. I need to learn to be patient on my back. I gave him my back way too quickly. The punches weren't hurting, so I shouldn't have, but I guess my wrestler instinct kicked in. I fought back, and I don't feel like I quit, so I felt like I showed some heart. My back is actually still sore from bridging out like that.

Do you feel like having such short notice was a disadvantage for you?

SCHILLING: That's not an excuse. I'm not giving any excuses. He had a short notice, too. He knew the UFC was looking at him a little before me, but I make no excuses. I lost. But I'm still hopeful I'll be back. I feel confident that will happen. If it happens, I'll be ready. It's out of my control now and there's nothing I can do about it. But I'm going to hit the gym and work even harder now. I'm excited and hopeful for another opportunity.

Do you feel fortunate that you got your UFC shot right as the UFC was switching to FUEL, so your fight which was buried on the undercard, was still on live TV?

SCHILLING: Yeah, it was really cool. It was great timing. I'm super lucky it all worked out at the time when UFC was getting the deal done with Fox. You get to be on live TV, and more people get to see your fight. Plus, it really opens us up to have a better shot at the bonuses.

For you to get this shot in the UFC at such a young age and with so few fights, you must have a pretty darn good manager.

SCHILLING: Yes, I have a new manager, and he's great. They did a very good job with this whole thing. I mean, they got me a contract in the UFC, what more can I say? They got me moved up the UFC's list quickly, and I didn't even know I was on the radar. It's Triple Crown Management out of California. I think a lot of it had to do with the TUF tryouts. That got my name in front of the UFC, and then the management team got the rest of the job done from there.

When word broke that you were in the UFC, you received a great deal of support from the local MMA community. But there were plenty of haters, those saying you didn't deserve it. Did the support outweigh the haters?

SCHILLING: Yes, the support is always going to outweigh the haters. I don't pay attention to the negative people who are talking. I know what I can control. Yep, it's a bummer that not everybody loves me. But maybe they'll come around. If not, I'm fighting in the UFC, living my dream. If they don't like it, they're certainly entitled to their opinion. I feel I've done a good job, and I've stayed positive. I don't think that I don't deserve to be where I'm at right now.

But would you agree there are other fighters more deserving?

SCHILLING: Absolutely! When I got the call, there were probably a dozen guys in Minnesota who should have gotten that call before me. I understand that. I understand that there are some guys who have paid their dues way more than me when it comes to fighting and training. I know that I'm very lucky. I'm not so arrogant to think that I'm not lucky or that I deserved it more than some of these guys. I'm just very thankful to be where I'm at. And believe me, I hope for the best for all of these Minnesota fighters. I hope they all get there. I wish them all the same luck.

A lot has been said about your knockout loss to Bruce Johnson at Treasure Island Resort and Casino last February. But did you learn from that loss? And was that loss totally worth it if it somehow helped lead you to where you're at today?

SCHILLING: Absolutely. Obviously, that was a tough fight. I got in a bad spot. But I did take a lot from that. I guess it was good to see the other side of things. I had been winning all my fights, so it helped me work on that part of my game. Patience was the big thing. I was rushing things too much, and I really learned to slow down after that. It's MMA, and you can't rush because anybody can be knocked out. ... Bruce definitely hits very hard. I knew he hit hard, everyone knows he hits hard. But that fight still crosses my mind all the time, a year after it happened. So it was a very impactful punch, that's for sure. And it taught me a very valuable lesson.

Thanks again for the time Thrilling. Who would you like to thank?

SCHILLING: Well, definitely my girlfriend Melanie. She's been keeping me grounder since Day 1. She's been awesome. I want to thank all my family, my friends and all the new fans. I get people writing me all the time on Facebook and Twitter, and I hear all those positive words. That's how I would measure success for me. Those people really look out for me, and I really do appreciate it. I'd like to thank (MNMMANEWS) for giving me the interview and helping get my name out there. And then everybody at Ambition, all my training partners, all my coaches. Really everyone who's helped me get to this point.