Aaron Simpson (fighter) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Aaron Michael Simpson is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

Mixed martial arts

Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...

who competes as a middleweight

Middleweight (MMA)

The middleweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*UFC's & Strikeforce's middleweight division, which groups competitors within 171 to 185 lb...

in the Ultimate Fighting Championship

Ultimate Fighting Championship

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...

. Before starting his mixed martial arts career, Simpson was a standout wrestler. In high school, Simpson compiled a 142–1 record wrestling for Antelope Union High School in Wellton, Arizona

Wellton, Arizona

Wellton is a town in Yuma County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 1,862. It is part of the Yuma Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Wellton is located at ....

while earning four state wrestling championships. He went on to compete at Arizona State University

Arizona State University

Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...

in Tempe, Arizona, compiling 110 wins and earning NCAA All-American status in 1996 and 1998. He later became an assistant wrestling coach at Arizona State, spending nine years there in that position. He later worked as an assistant wrestling coach at California Polytechnic State University

California Polytechnic State University

California Polytechnic State University, or Cal Poly, is a public university located in San Luis Obispo, California, United States. The university is one of two polytechnic campuses in the 23-member California State University system....

for one year.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Simpson was part of the transfer of light heavyweight and middleweight fighters in the WEC

World Extreme Cagefighting

World Extreme Cagefighting was an American mixed martial arts promotion. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of Ultimate Fighting Championship , in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was made up of 3 weight classes: 135, 145 and 155 lbs. To accommodate the smaller...

to the UFC

Ultimate Fighting Championship

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...

. He made his debut at UFC Fight Night 18 by defeating Tim McKenzie.

He was set to have his second fight against Dan Miller

Dan Miller (fighter)

Daniel James Miller is an American Middleweight mixed martial artist signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the older brother of fellow MMA fighter Jim Miller.-Martial arts background:...

on September 16, 2009, at UFC Fight Night 19. Instead the fight was moved to UFC 102

UFC 102

UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueira was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 29, 2009 at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon...

where he fought Ed Herman. Simpson won by technical knockout when Herman went down with a knee injury in the second round.

Simpson faced Tom Lawlor

Tom Lawlor

Thomas Joseph "Tom" Lawlor is an American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir.-Mixed martial arts:...

on January 11, 2010, at UFC Fight Night 20, defeating him via controversial split decision.

Simpson was expected to face Chris Leben

Chris Leben

Christian Cyrus Leben is an American mixed martial artist currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he fights as a middleweight....

at UFC 114

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, United States. The UFC Fan Expo took place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center....

, but the bout took place instead on June 19, 2010, at The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz Finale

The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz Finale

The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz Finale, also referred to as The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale was a mixed martial arts event that was held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States on June 19, 2010. Featured were the...

. Leben defeated Simpson via TKO (punches) 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 Dave Branch

Dave Branch (fighter)

Dave Branch is an American professional mixed martial artist competing in the Middleweight division. He is a Bellator Fighting Championship and Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran.-Background:...

on September 15, 2010, at UFC Fight Night 22

UFC Fight Night 22

UFC Fight Night: Marquardt vs. Palhares, also known as UFC Fight Night 22 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 15, 2010 at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas...

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

Simpson faced Mark Muñoz

Mark Munoz

Mark Muñoz is an American mixed martial artist of Filipino descent currently fighting in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.Muñoz is known for his wrestling ability and his relentless ground-and-pound...

on November 20, 2010, at UFC 123

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 the Detroit suburb of Auburn Hills, Michigan...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Simpson returned to winning after defeating Mario Miranda

Mario Miranda (fighter)

Mario Miranda is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competed most recently for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, fighting in their middleweight division.-Mixed martial arts:...

on March 26, 2011, at UFC Fight Night 24. Simpson dominated the fight by controlling Miranda on the ground in 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. However, on May 27, 2011, it was revealed that Miller would be one of the coaches of The Ultimate Fighter Season 14

The Ultimate Fighter 14

The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller is the fourteenth installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship -produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter....

, opposite to Michael Bisping

Michael Bisping

Michael Gavin Joseph Bisping is an English mixed martial artist born in Cyprus but living in Clitheroe, Lancashire. He currently fights as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and is the former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion, former Cage Rage light...

and had been pulled from the bout, while Simpson faced Brad Tavares

Brad Tavares

Brad Tavares is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the middleweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2008, Tavares fought in local promotions...

. Simpson defeated Brad Tavares

Brad Tavares

Brad Tavares is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the middleweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2008, Tavares fought in local promotions...

via unanimous decision.

Simpson was expected to face Nick Catone

Nick Catone

Nicholas Catone is an American mixed martial artist. Catone currently fights for Ultimate Fighting Championship in their middleweight division.-Mixed martial arts:...

on October 8, 2011 at UFC 136

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...

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

Eric Schafer

Eric John Schafer is an American mixed martial artist who competes a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.-Background and early career:Schafer attended the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh....

, who he defeated by unanimous decision.

Personal life

Simpson and his wife have twins, a boy named Domenico and a girl named Mia, who were born in June 2008 via a surrogate

Surrogacy

Surrogacy is an arrangement in which a woman carries and delivers a child for another couple or person. This woman may be the child's genetic mother , or she may carry the pregnancy to delivery after having an embryo, to which she has no genetic relationship whatsoever, transferred to her uterus...

, Simpson's mother-in-law. The couple also adopted a 16-year-old girl named Claire. Simpson was also featured on an episode of American Gladiators Season Two.
Simpson and his wife are vegetarians. "I read a book called ‘Eating Animals’ 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."

Mixed martial arts record

|-
| Win
|align=center|11-2
| Eric Schafer

Eric Schafer

| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 136

UFC 136

Houston, Texas

Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

|
|-
| Win
|align=center|10-2
| Brad Tavares

Brad Tavares

Brad Tavares is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the middleweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2008, Tavares fought in local promotions...

| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 132

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, United States.-Background:UFC 132 was originally set to feature a rematch between B.J...

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 9–2
| Mario Miranda

Mario Miranda (fighter)

Mario Miranda is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competed most recently for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, fighting in their middleweight division.-Mixed martial arts:...

| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Davis

UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Davis

UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Davis was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 26, 2011 at the KeyArena in Seattle, Washington.-Background:...

Seattle, Washington

Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...

Mark Munoz

| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 123

UFC 123

Auburn Hills, Michigan

Auburn Hills is a city in Metro Detroit, Oakland County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 21,412 at the 2010 census. The city was formed in 1983 when Pontiac Township became the City of Auburn Hills.-Economy:...

Chris Leben

Christian Cyrus Leben is an American mixed martial artist currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he fights as a middleweight....

| TKO (punches)
| The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz Finale

The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz Finale

Las Vegas, Nevada

, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 8–0
| Tom Lawlor

Tom Lawlor

Thomas Joseph "Tom" Lawlor is an American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir.-Mixed martial arts:...

Fairfax, Virginia

The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....

, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 7–0
| Ed Herman
| TKO (knee injury)
| UFC 102

UFC 102

UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueira was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 29, 2009 at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon...

Portland, Oregon

Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...

UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Kampmann

UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Kampmann, also referred to as UFC Fight Night 18, was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 1, 2009. The event was broadcast on Spike TV, as a prelude to the premiere of The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United...

Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...

, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 5–0
| David Avellan

David Avellan

David Avellan is an American grappler and professional mixed martial artist who has fought for World Extreme Cagefighting and bodogFight promotions. David recently competed in the 2009 ADCC World Championship Barcelona, later winning a Bronze Medal...

| KO (punch)
| WEC 36

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...

Hollywood, Florida

-Demographics:As of 2000, there were 59,673 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of...

Rocky Point

Rocky Point may refer to:in Australia:*Rocky Point, New South Wales*Rocky Point, Queensland in Canada:*Rocky Point Park in Port Moody, British Columbiain Mexico:...

Las Vegas, Nevada

Payson, Arizona

- History :Payson considers its founding year as 1882, at which time it was known as Green Valley or Union Park. On March 3, 1884, the town officially established a post office. Postmaster Frank C. Hise recommended that the town be named after a man named Levi Joseph Payson. Senator Payson was very...

, United States
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External links

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