Aaron Michael Simpson (born July 20, 1974) is an American

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

. A professional competitor from 2000 until 2013, he is perhaps best known for his 11-fight stint with the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

, but also fought for the pre-Zuffa owned WEC and the

World Series of Fighting The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is an American mixed martial arts league founded by Venture capital, venture capitalist Donn Davis in 2017 and launched in 2018, following the acquisition and restructuring of the former World Series of Fight ...

Background

Simpson was born in

Gunnison, Colorado Gunnison is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Gunnison County, Colorado. The city population was 6,560 at the 2020 United States Census. Gunnison was named in honor of John W. Gunnison, a Uni ...

and grew up in

Wellton, Arizona Wellton is a town in Yuma County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the town is 2,882. It is part of the Yuma Metropolitan Statistical Area. Geography Wellton is located at (32.671436, -114.140972). Ac ...

, where he attended Antelope Union High School. In high school he was a standout

wrestler Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat sport ...

, compiling an amazing 142–1 record, and earned four state wrestling championships before going to compete in the sport for

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...

originally as a walk on before earning his scholarship. He compiled 110 wins and earned

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

All-American status in 1996 and 1998 and then became an assistant coach for ASU and spent nine years there in that position. Simpson then worked as an assistant coach at

California Polytechnic State University California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (California Polytechnic State University, Cal Poly"Cal Poly" may also refer to California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt in Arcata, California or California State Polytechnic Univ ...

Mixed martial arts

World Extreme Cagefighting

Simpson made his WEC debut against accomplished

grappler Grappling, in hand-to-hand combat, describes sports that consist of gripping or seizing the opponent. Grappling is used at close range to gain a physical advantage over an opponent, either by imposing a Grappling position, position or causing ...

David Avellan David Avellan is an American grappler and professional mixed martial artist who has fought for World Extreme Cagefighting and Bodog Fight promotions. Past opponents include French journeyman Antony Rea and UFC contender Aaron Simpson. ...

WEC 36 ''WEC 36: Faber vs. Brown'' was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on November 5, 2008 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The event aired live on the Versus Network. Bac ...

. Simpson won in the first round with a highlight-reel KO.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Simpson was part of the transfer of

Light Heavyweight Light heavyweight, also referred to as junior cruiserweight or light cruiserweight, is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruise ...

and

Middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have be ...

fighters in the WEC to the

. He made his debut at

UFC Fight Night 18 ''UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Kampmann'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 18'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on April 1, 2009. Background The event was broadcast on Spike TV and served as a lea ...

by defeating

Tim McKenzie Tim McKenzie (born July 21, 1982) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 2001 until 2011, he fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, World Extreme Cagefighting, Pancrase, and Tachi Palace Fig ...

via TKO in the first round. He was set to have his second fight against Dan Miller on September 16, 2009, at

UFC Fight Night 19 ''UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 19'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on September 16, 2009 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Background A previously announced bou ...

. Instead the fight was moved to

UFC 102 ''UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueira'' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on August 29, 2009 at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon. It featured former five-time UFC champion and UFC Hall of Fam ...

where he fought

Ed Herman Edward Benson Herman (born October 2, 1980) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2002, Herman was a finalis ...

. Simpson won by technical knockout when Herman went down with a knee injury in the second round. Simpson faced

Tom Lawlor Thomas Joseph Lawlor (born May 15, 1983) is an American professional wrestler, retired mixed martial artist and podcast host. He is best known for his time in Major League Wrestling (MLW), where he was a former one-time MLW World Heavyweight Cham ...

on January 11, 2010, at

UFC Fight Night 20 ''UFC Fight Night: Maynard vs. Diaz'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 20'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on January 11, 2010 at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia. Background Nik Lentz wa ...

, defeating him via controversial split decision. Simpson was expected to face

Chris Leben Christian Cyrus Leben (born July 21, 1980) is an American former mixed martial artist, referee, and bare knuckle boxer. A professional MMA competitor from 2002 until 2013, he most notably competed in the UFC in the Middleweight division, compiling ...

UFC 114 ''UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 29, 2010 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The UFC Fan Expo took place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Backg ...

, but the bout took place instead on June 19, 2010, at The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz Finale. Simpson lost the fight via TKO at 4:17 of round 2. Simpson started out strong, using his wrestling to bring the heavier hitting Leben down multiple times. In the second round, Simpson came out gassed and ate multiple shots against the cage before turning and running away, falling against the cage, forcing the referee to save him. Simpson was expected to face David Branch on September 15, 2010, at

UFC Fight Night 22 ''UFC Fight Night: Marquardt vs. Palhares'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 22'') and originally scheduled as ''UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Belcher'', was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 15, 2010 ...

, but was forced to pull out of the bout with a

staph infection A staphylococcal infection or staph infection is an infection caused by members of the ''Staphylococcus'' genus of bacteria. These bacteria commonly inhabit the skin and nose where they are innocuous, but may enter the body through cuts or abrasio ...

. Simpson faced

Mark Muñoz Oklahoma State Cowboys Mark Kenery Muñoz (born February 9, 1978) is a Filipino-American former professional mixed martial artist who last competed in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competito ...

on November 20, 2010, at

UFC 123 ''UFC 123: Rampage vs. Machida'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 20, 2010 at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It was the first UFC event in the Metro Detroit area since ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Simpson returned to winning by defeating Mario Miranda on March 26, 2011, at

UFC Fight Night 24 ''UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Davis'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 24'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 26, 2011 at the KeyArena in Seattle, Washington. Background The event did not lea ...

. Simpson dominated the fight by controlling Miranda on the ground en route to a unanimous decision victory. The judges scored the fight (30–27, 30–27, 30–26). Simpson was expected to face returning UFC veteran Jason Miller on July 2, 2011 at

UFC 132 ''UFC 132: Cruz vs. Faber'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background UFC 132 was originally set to feature a rematch between B.J. Pe ...

. However, on May 27, 2011, it was revealed that Miller would be one of the coaches of The Ultimate Fighter Season 14, opposite to

Michael Bisping Michael Gavin Joseph Bisping (; born 28 February 1979) is an English actor, sports analyst, commentator and retired mixed martial artist, who competed in the Middleweight and Light Heavyweight division of the UFC. A professional competitor ...

and had been pulled from the bout, while Simpson faced

Brad Tavares Bradley Kaipo Sarbida Tavares (born December 21, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist. Tavares currently competes in the middleweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2007, Tavares foug ...

. Simpson won via unanimous decision. Simpson was expected to face

Nick Catone Nicholas Catone (born September 1, 1981) is a retired American mixed martial artist. Catone competed most recently in the Ultimate Fighting Championship in their Middleweight division. Mixed martial arts career Wrestling Catone began wrestling ...

on October 8, 2011 at

UFC 136 ''UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard III'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 8, 2011, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The event coincided with a two-day UFC Fan Expo held at the George R. Brown ...

. However, Catone was forced out of the bout after tearing an Achilles tendon, and replaced by

Eric Schafer Eric John Schafer (born September 20, 1977) is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional from 1997 until 2016, he competed for the UFC. Background Schafer attended the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh. Schafer is a black belt i ...

, who he defeated by unanimous decision. Simpson faced

Ronny Markes Ronny Markes (born April 21, 1988), is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently competing in the Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2007, Markes has formerly competed for the UFC, King of the Cage, PFL, Bellator MMA, and M ...

on February 15, 2012 at

UFC on Fuel TV 1 The year 2012 was the 20th year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. 2012 started with UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes and ended with UFC 155: dos Santos vs. Velasquez 2 ...

. Markes defeated Simpson via split decision. Following his split decision loss to Markes, Simpson confirmed he would drop down to the

Welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify the ...

division. Simpson was expected to face

Jon Fitch Jonathan Parker Fitch (born February 24, 1978) is an American retired mixed martial artist. He has competed in the Welterweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the Professional Fighters League (PFL), and most recently for ...

on July 11, 2012 at UFC on Fuel TV: Munoz vs. Weidman. However, Fitch pulled out of the bout citing a knee injury and was replaced by returning veteran

Kenny Robertson Kenneth Duane Robertson (born February 14, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist. A professional mixed martial artist since 2008, he has also competed for the UFC and Bellator. Before MMA In high school he wrestled for Metamora Township H ...

. Simpson won a unanimous decision over Robertson. Simpson fought

Mike Pierce Michael Pierce (born September 1, 1980) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist. He formerly competed as a Welterweight in the UFC and also competed in a one-fight stint in the WEC. Personal life Pierce is married and has two c ...

on October 5, 2012 at

UFC on FX 5 ''UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot'' (also known as ''UFC on FX 5'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 5, 2012, at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was the fifth UFC event broadcast l ...

. After nearly finishing Pierce on two occasions in the first round, Simpson was knocked out 29 seconds into the second round. After the loss, the UFC chose not to renew Simpson's contract.

World Series of Fighting

Following his UFC release, Simpson signed with the new MMA company World Series of Fighting. He fought

Josh Burkman Joshua Ray Burkman (born April 10, 1980) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist formerly competing in the Welterweight division. He formerly competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the World Series of Fighting, the XFC, ...

at World Series of Fighting 2 on March 23, 2013. He lost his debut via TKO in the first round.

Personal life

Simpson and his wife Kendra Sirignano have twins, a boy named Domenico and a girl named Mia, who were born in June 2008 via a surrogate, Simpson's mother-in-law. The couple also adopted a 16-year-old girl named Claire. Simpson and Sirignano also competed individually on an episode of American Gladiators Season Two against another married couple. Simpson and his wife are vegetarians. "I read a book called ‘

Eating Animals ''Eating Animals'' is the third book by the American novelist Jonathan Safran Foer, published in 2009. A ''New York Times'' best-seller, ''Eating Animals'' provides a dense discussion of what it means to eat animals in an industrialized world. It ...

’ that changed my thoughts,” he said. “And I’m an animal lover. I couldn’t justify what I was eating any more by the way meat is factory produced now and full of hormones, the way the animals are killed, it really turns me off."

Championships and accomplishments

Collegiate wrestling Collegiate wrestling (also known as folkstyle wrestling) is the form of wrestling practiced at the college and university level in the United States. This style of wrestling, with some slight modifications, is also practiced at high school and mi ...

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of College athletics, intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major ...

All-American out of

(1996, 1998) **

177 lb: 4th place out of

(1998) **

177 lb: 8th place out of

(1996) **

Pac-10 Conference The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS; formerly Division ...

177 lb: Champion out of

(1997–98)

Mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

** Fight of the Night (One time) vs.

** Knockout of the Night (One time) vs.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 12–5 ,

Joshua Burkman Joshua Ray Burkman (born April 10, 1980) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist formerly competing in the Welterweight division. He formerly competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the World Series of Fighting, the XFC, ...

, KO (knee and punches) , World Series of Fighting 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:04 ,

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–4 ,

, KO (punch) , UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:29 ,

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–3 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on Fuel TV: Munoz vs. Weidman , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...

, United States ,

debut. , - , Loss , align=center, 11–3 ,

, Decision (split) , UFC on Fuel TV: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–2 , Mario Miranda , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Davis , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

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, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Auburn Hills, Michigan Auburn Hills is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 21,412 at the 2010 census. Before incorporating as a city in 1983, the area was part of the now-defunct Pontiac Township. It is home to Oakland University ...

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, TKO (punches) , The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz Finale , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:17 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 ,

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Fairfax, Virginia The City of Fairfax ( ), colloquially known as Fairfax City, Downtown Fairfax, Old Town Fairfax, Fairfax Courthouse, FFX, or simply Fairfax, is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 ,

, TKO (knee injury) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:17 ,

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Kampmann , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:40 ,

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

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, KO (punch) , WEC 36: Faber vs. Brown , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:18 ,

Hollywood, Florida Hollywood is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States, located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. As of July 1, 2019, Hollywood had a population of 154,817. Founded in 1925, the city grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, and is now ...

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Tim Coulson , TKO (punches) , Proving Grounds 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:44 , Cayman Islands , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Billy Onlewski , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Arizona Cage Combat , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:02 ,

Payson, Arizona Payson is a town in northern Gila County, Arizona, United States. Due to Payson's location being very near to the geographic center of Arizona, it has been called "The Heart of Arizona". The town is surrounded by the Tonto National Forest, the la ...

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References

External links

*
Aaron Simpson profile at the National Wrestling Hall of FameOfficial UFC Profile

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simpson, Aaron Living people American male mixed martial artists 1974 births American male sport wrestlers Amateur wrestlers Middleweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu People from Gunnison, Colorado Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu