It’s been a great month for Andrew Angelcor.

On April 30, he was victorious in his Squared Circle debut, sharing Fight-of-the-Night honors with Timmy Mason after their epic, five-round battle at BKFC 24 in Great Falls, MT. Next week, Angelcor will officially graduate from Barstow College in his native California.

“I’m a savage, but I’m an educated savage,” Angelcor, 32, says with a smile.

Angelcor’s accomplishments aren’t minor, especially considering what he’s had to overcome in his personal life, including battles with addiction and stints in jail and rehab.

Angelcor began boxing at 15. His struggles outside the sport prevented him from making his long-awaited professional debut until earlier this year in Mexico. Through all of his trials and tribulations, boxing remained a constant in Angelcor’s life, so perhaps it’s fitting he scored the knockout in his pro debut that was 15 years in the making.

“To me, I represent the underdog. I represent the late starters,” he says. "I’m already old in the boxing world, and I’m graduating 10 years later than most people do. I want to represent the guys who didn’t give up, and I’m going to lead by example, like with the kids I teach.”

Angelcor is now five years sober, and a married father. He’s dead serious about making a run for BKFC gold, but not for the clout or other goodies that comes with that type of accomplishment.

“I want to share my message of hope, maybe with the guy who just got out of jail, or the guy who’s struggling with alcoholism and drug addiction. I want to represent those people, and show them that you can always turn it around. Nothing was handed to me, I had to work for it all, but life does get better," Angelcor says.

“I want to share my message of hope.”