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My new Opponent for UFC 136

Fri, 9 Sep 2011 22:03:05 GMT

Well guys I have my new opponent for UFC 136 and I am pumped for the challenge! My new guy is Eric "red" Schafer. I am excited about this opportunity and look forward to a very tough challenge. Eric is a big guy who is cutting down to 185 from his normal weight class of 205 where he fought Ryan Bader. He has a very tough ground game and I will have to be at the top of my game to beat him which is why I am so excited for this challenge.

Thanks for the support and keep checking back to my site for more inside info and more!

�

A-train

10 Weeks til Mayhem

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:35:57 GMT

Just some thoughts about my next UFC fight July 2nd in Vegas. �

I am fighting Jason Mayhem Miller and am looking to get a dominant win. �I only see this fight going one way, and that is me landing heavy punches on Miller's head, getting a hold of him, slamming him and smashing him. �I will repeat this �until he quits, gets knocked out or the rounds are over. �That being said, Miller is a seasoned vet of the MMA game and is very tricky with his stand up and grappling. �I know of his strengths and have a great amount of respect for his abilities and his toughness. �He is a gamer and always rises to the occasion in his fights. �This is going to be a great fight for the fans and is on one of the most stacked cards I have ever seen the UFC put together. �

Wrestling at my school

Tue, 4 May 2010 07:56:19 GMT

Aaron came to Perry High School in Chandler to teach us more moves alon with two other coachs from ASU it was vary inspirational the things that he said to all of us. i cant wait to see gis fight June 12 and he will win this for sure.

GOOD LUCK AARON

Thank You for comeing

Way to Show Who is the Boss!!

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:53:15 GMT

Aaron, I got the pleasure of seeing your fight and your are in amazing shape. You can tell that you really work out alot! I was screaming and jumping up and down during the whole fight! You for sure Kicked some ASS! Aaron you have made us all very proud! Vickie

I have not yet begun to fight!

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 03:08:48 GMT

Well, its been almost a week and I am getting anxious to get back to training. After watching my fight from my DVR, I am very motivated to make sure that I do not let the next one be that close. I realize what I was doing wrong (getting punched repeatedly, while not moving!) and can't wait to work on correcting it. I must say that in hindsight, i know that i was physically ready to go the distance and I think it showed...but, i do not believe that I was 100% focused on the job. I had several moments in the fight and pre-fight where I lacked total focus. In warm ups my legs were feeling very weak and heavy. I was getting Bader and Larkin to rub them out in hopes that it was just nerves. Eric later said that he was worried about his and did not want to bring it to attention. I also remember thinking that I heard my mom screaming in the audience (which is highly unrealistic being that there were 16,000 screaming fans in attendance). Yet, for some reason, my lack of focus allowed me to not be 100% present and really hurt my performance. It was the first time that I have felt this way in my brief MMA career and must work on blocking out the distractions next time. I believe that the only way I do this is in my training. I do not believe that I had the greatest training camp possible for this fight. I had several things that were weighing in my mind during the weeks prior and must eliminate those distractions next training cycle. I must end this blog thanking all those who helped me for this last fight, for I would not have been able to fight back the way I did without them. First off, thanks to my wife Kendra for being there and understanding what it is that I am trying to accomplish and also being such an unbelievable momma to our babies. It is so comforting to know that when I am off training or competing my family is safe and in good hands. I must also thank my mom and dad for traveling all the way to Virginia in order to support me. It really means a lot to be 35 years old and still have my parents in the stands even after all these years. I also had my cousin Scott and uncle Urban at my fight and was able to visit with them for a short time after the fight, which was very nice. Haven't seen them in a long time! I also would like to thank my former teammates Matt Suter, Adam Friedman and Danny Felix for making the trip to my fight. We were all freshman together at ASU back in 1993 and have stayed pretty close through all these years. It was pretty special to me having them there to fight in front of. I also had many ex-Sun Devil alums (guys that I coached at ASU) there...Nick Frost came out from AZ, Quinton Pruett from AZ, and Ronny and Ricky Renzi who both live in their home state of Virginia now. They also brought their brothers Robbie and Ross Renzi to the fight, where it was Ross' 18th birthday! My bud Zach "Z$" Roberson drove down from Ithaca, NY, which was awesome. I think Larkin and I have him talked into moving back to AZ to start training MMA. He could be pretty dam tough if he decides to commit. I would also like to thank Brian Davis www.thetrainingroom-az.com for making the trip out to VA to finally watch me fight for the 1st time. BD has been training me since back in June and it has made a world of difference in my conditioning and mental toughness. I owe a lot to him. And its only just begun. I would also like to thank Jesse Forbes (who lost a controversial split decision on the card to Nick Catone), Ryan Bader, CB Dollaway, and Eric Larkin for being there for me and helping me prepare for this fight. Thanks to Todd and Trevor Lally at AZ Combat Sports for continuing to bring along my hands as I work on climbing the ladder of the UFC. They have done a lot for me since I began this quest 2 and a half years ago. The guys at ASU and specifically Shawn Charles for letting me get back in the room and help out as well as train along with the team. It is important to me to be a Sun Devil. I would also like to thank Dave Martin for working so hard for me as well as all the others that he represents. Thanks Dave for everything that you do. Ok, now I can move forward...I intend to pick up my training. I will commit to getting better on the ground as well as my stand up. Whomever I fight next will have to go through hell if they want to beat me. I recently ran across this quote from US Continental Naval Captain John Paul Jones and found it to be appropriate. As Jones' ship was on fire and taking on water, a British Commander asked Jones if he was ready to surrender and Jones replied, "I have not yet begun to fight!" In the end, it was the British Commander who would surrender to Jones.

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 03:05:00 GMT

Aaron, i was called by a friend of mine last night, Art Dupont and he said you were fighting. Great fight as it made us Leadvillites proud. I knew your dad a little and my brother John Yudnich knew him better( as you know your dad graduated from Leadville Highschool) So i'll be watching your fights and the best of luck. Ron Yudnich

Congratulations!!

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:42:43 GMT

Aaron... David mentioned your fight last nite and I was fortunate enough to catch it live-- Awesome! Just wanted to take a moment and congratulate you on your win and tip my hat to a superlative athlete. After viewing a couple of your videos it is evident to me that you must have very few equals in preparation and determination. It is no wonder how you have achieved your current record. Best wishes and blessings to you, Kendra, and the family:-)

T–Shirt

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 08:39:41 GMT

Just bought the Aaron "A-Train" Simpson T-Shirt on MMADogma.com...go and buy one for your self!

1 week away...almost Game Time !

Tue, 5 Jan 2010 10:33:04 GMT

Well, the hay is in the barn. The work's done and now it is time to enjoy the fight. This is absolutely the best part of a good training camp. I always enjoy the week leading up to the fight. I cut my workouts way back by going into the gym and training short and intense. This week will be exactly that for me. I have spent several months now preparing for this one fight. All those hours for just 15 minutes. My plan is to impose my will from the second we step in the octagon. I always say, I want to throw first and throw last. To me, that is the only way to fight. I am looking forward to being in Virginia as several of my friends, family and former ASU Wrestling teammates will be in attendance. Adam Friedman is making the trip from Philly, Matt Suter is driving in from Lehigh, PA, and Danny Felix from West Virginia. We all wrestled together at ASU and I can't wait to fight in front of them. My parents are flying in from AZ. My uncle Urban and cousin Scott will be driving over from West Virginia. My good buddy Zach "Z$" Roberson is coming down from Ithaca, NY. The Renzi boys will be in attendance, as it is their hometown. Mike Miller of the Washington Wizards will be there as well as his sidekick Steve Fergie Fergen. My agent/manager/entertainment coordinator/lawyer/body guard/ Stand up comedy partner Dave Martin will be there. Brian Davis "BD", is taking some time from his busy schedule at www.thetrainingroom-az.com to come. He will be making a visit back to DC where he won a Super Bowl for the Redskins back in the 80's as their cornerback. My cornermen will be Ryan Bader, Eric Larkin and Todd Lally. Same corner that I had vs Ed Herman. Nothing changes. i am excited to be fighting in front of so many of my friends and family. I will not disappoint. Tune in Monday Night, January 11th on Spike TV. I believe that I am the 2nd fight shown on the main card.

2 Weeks to go and I am getting anxious

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 10:05:19 GMT

Just had a couple great days of work yesterday and today. Yesterday, Bader, CB and I went up to ASU and wrestled in the room to get a change of scenery. It is always nice to get in there and do some good training. Then later in the day, I did 4 solid rounds of MMA sparring with Jesse Forbes and Joe Riggs. I was pleased with the way I felt. I know that I will (as Ron Renzi and Nick Frost like to say) be "Bringing it!!, come January 11th. I am looking forward to getting in the Octagon and testing myself and all this training that I have put in once again. I feel that with each fight that I improve so much more from the last. I am never fully aware of what I may do in a fight, and can really only control certain things. It is an odd thing, fighting. Many do not understand why someone would want to put themselves in danger by actually punching and getting punched. I guess just as much as i do not understand wanting to sit behind a desk 10 hours a day everyday of my life. Which is probably more dangerous for someone's life than what I do. Anyway, I am looking forward to that feeling I get right before my fight. The focus that I have is a pretty unique experience. I am angry, I am violent, but I am calm and relaxed. It is gonna be fun! Make sure you tune into Spike TV Monday, Jan. 11th and watch me find out what TOm Lawlor is made of.

Its December already! 4 weeks 'til Fight Night 20.

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 09:21:04 GMT

Well, here I am sitting four weeks out from my fight with Tom Lawlor. I understand that he is planning a little comedy again for this fight. I'm curious to see what he has in store for his weigh-in. It should be good. I'm hearing that he is going to do some type of tribute to our founding father's being that the fight is in Virginia, several miles away from our nation's capital. It is sure to get a laugh. I imagine also, that he will be doing some type of walk out before the fight to get the crowd on his side a bit, or at least to get himself going. I probably won't have any idea what it is until after the fight when my coaches tell me about it. The moment I leave the locker room to walk out, I am in a zone. I don't acknowledge the fans much because I do not see them. I look down, I walk out, I hug my corner and enter the Octagon. My mental state at this moment has only been duplicated several times in my life. I can remember being in such a zone as I walked out to compete against Mo Lawal at the 2004 Olympic Trials in the semi-finals of the tournament. I am also remember feeling the same way for my Senior Year at the NCAA National Championships in college. And of course my fight in the WEC and 2 fights in the UFC. I am focused. To catch you up on my training, I have been hitting 2-a-days for 5 weeks now. Combining wrestling, grappling, Weight Training, Conditioning and Striking in those workouts. My sparring sessions have been very intense and I feel like I am exactly where I should be at this point in my training camp. I have a great base of conditioning and now am looking to pick up my speed and technique as well as keep banging hard for the next couple of weeks. I wish I could post some video of our sparring sessions, but don't really want to give anyone scout tape. My partners, Jesse Forbes, Seth Baczynski, C.B. Dollaway, Steve Steinbeiss and Ryan Bader have a "take no prisoners" approach with each other. We shake hands and laugh after , but when I am in the cage with them, I really don't like those guys . Hope all is well for you guys...I am really looking forward to this fight in Virginia. It is the home town to some great friends of mine, the Renzi family and I can't wait to bury Tom Lawlor with them in the crowd!

Toughest week yet of training...

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 09:12:06 GMT

I gotta say, I thought I stayed in great shape since my last fight, but this week killed me! Monday I hit B.D.'s Training Room treadmill workout and broke! I couldn't believe it. I have never done that. I jumped off the treadmill, went into the bathroom, did a little soul searching, and gathered my wits, all the while I hear the treadmill still whirling! I think, B.D. is expecting me to get out there and finish! I walk out and see him facing the treadmill, arms crossed, not saying a word to me. I jump back on and finish. Later I apologized for being a p#$$y and said it wouldn't happen again. I am not sure why it happened, but I am better because of it. Later that day, I went to AZ Combat Sports for Monday MMA Spar day. I was to do 3 x 5min rounds with Jesse Forbes. If anyone knows Jesse, they know that he "brings it" when it comes to sparring. He is a southpaw (same as Tom Lawlor) who is one of the most well rounded athletes in our gym. I know that I am going to be in a fight everytime we spar. This time was no different. We battled all three rounds the entire time and were exhausted after. Needless to say, I slept well that night. On Tuesday I did 4 x 5 min. rounds of mitts with Trevor Lally, and then jetted up to the ASU Wrestling Room to wrestle with ASU's 184 pounder at their wrestling practice. We wrestled a straight 40 min. match with no break. It was nice to be back in that room wrestling with a tough kid like Jake. I make sure that I keep wrestling in my training. It keeps me limber and fast. Once again that night, I slept well. On Wednesday I lifted hard in the morning, and then sat in the Ice Whirlpool at ASU Sports Medicine. This was to recover my legs and get them ready to do 5 rounds of hard boxing that night. I went to AZCS at 3:30pm to get my sparring in, went hard then went home. Another hard day’s work I can cross off the calendar. Today was Thanksgiving. My wife and I spent the morning lifting weights at the Lifetime Fitness gym that we are members of before we did the usual family Thanksgiving. We actually did things alittle different this year. We ate lunch at "Green", a vegetarian restaurant in Scottsdale that was serving their "Thanks Living" vegetarian meal. It was awesome! We ate veggie turkey with all the fixings, and not one animal was harmed! We felt pretty good about that. After that, we went by and spent time with some of her cousins that live out here, then went to my brother's house and spent the evening with he and his family and my parents. I am making Friday, Saturday and Sunday Recovery/Stretch and light work days. Come next Monday, I will put in one of the most intense weeks of my training camp thus far! Hope all had a great Thanksgiving and I'll blog again next week!!!

8 Weeks out: Hard Work...like those before me.

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:38:38 GMT

I began my training for this fight the day after my August 29th fight in Portland. I woke up and went for a run along the Willamette River. I have not allowed myself much "time off". I tried to do something active everyday, just not with the intensity of a hard core training camp. I spent the months of September and October helping Ryan Bader prepare for his fight against Eric Schafer, so I never really got out of shape, which is exactly where I wanted to be. Now it is November 18th, I am a couple days into training camp and have really picked up the training. Two-a-days are now filled with running, strength training, grappling, wrestling and striking. I love these 8 weeks. The body starts breaking down and rebuilding and toughening up. I go to bed sore and wake up even more sore! I get my mind right for the days training and go to work. This is my job...this is my life. When I start feeling like I need a break or want to miss a work out, I think about the role models in my life who have taught me and are still teaching me about work ethic. I think about my grandpas, who were both miners in the Rocky Mountains. Day in and day out they geared up and went underground, doing some of the toughest work known to man. I think about my mom, after 40 some years of raising my brother and I, deciding to go back to school and get her teaching degree and master's degree. I remember all her struggles with algebra (not the strongest subject for myself or her). Yet, she buckled down and became a great teacher...she just retired this past year from teaching! What a great inspiration for me. I think about my dad. He grew up rough and didn't have much of anything. He put himself through school, did his time in the Navy during Vietnam, came back and received his master's degree and he too got a job in education. He was, in my opinion of the greatest wrestling coaches that I have ever been coached by. He coached his Nebraska High School wrestling teams to a state championship, but most importantly helped change the lives of every wrestler who had the guts to be on his teams. Most recently, my dad being a life long power lifter, bench pressed at a drug-free bench meet 390lbs! He just turned 63 years old! That right there tells me that age means absolutely nothing. I think about my father-in-law, working everyday of his life, 100 hours a week, with no complaints at the family restaurant in Goodrich, Michigan since he was a little boy. I remember 1st meeting him and he looked like he hadn't slept in years, yet he never let himself take a break and never made an excuse. Quite possibly one of the hardest workers I know. I think about my mother-in-law. At 52 years old, she did one of the most unselfish acts that anyone could do some someone. She, without question, decided to be our surrogate for our twin babies and carried them for 37 weeks to birth! Several months after giving birth, she ran a 10 mile race in Michigan! Unbelievable! She gave us two of the most precious babies in the world and we owe our lives to her! Finally, I think about my wife. She came to Arizona fresh out of high school. She always wanted to leave the cold of Michigan and attend Arizona State University. Her parents dropped her off at college and she went to work. Because her dad had worked so hard and continued to work to pay for her college, she had decided that she had better get it done as fast as possible. She got through a tough psychology program in three and a half years and graduated with honors. She then worked for a semester before going back and earning her master's degree in Social Work. She always wanted to help people. Never once did she change her mind. She took a job south of Phoenix in Casa Grande, AZ. Drove and hour each way everyday for 3 years and worked with some of the worst poverty stricken families than you could ever imagine. It was rough, but she felt that her life was easy compared to the families and kids she worked with. Along with way, she met this eight year old little girl at a children's shelter. She fell in love this little girl and remained in her life for the next four years of foster care and group homes. Finally, she asked me if I thought that we could become this little girl's foster parents and eventually adopt. I said of course and we began the process of getting her in our home. Before we knew it, we had a 12 year old little girl in our house and were well on our way to adopting her. She is now 16 years of age and is a junior at a local high school. She herself has also had many great role models for success and hard work...we hope that someday she can make a life for herself. All in all, I have no excuses for laziness. I have a lot to live up to and have a lot of people that I want to make proud. Not proud because my job is beating people up or because I have the potential to make a good amount of money. Proud because I am a hard worker like those before me.

9 Weeks out until Fight Night 20

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 10:25:34 GMT

Tomorrow begins another 9 week training camp that will encompass 3 phases of training. The first 3 weeks, I will be picking up my wind, working with BD up in Scottsdale at www.thetrainingroom.com a couple times a week. We will also really work on BJJ technique as well as all aspects of stand-up. I will also be trying to get in the ASU wrestling room with the guys a couple times a week to keep my wrestling sharp. The 2nd 3 week cycle will involve heavier sparring sessions and grueling conditioning with BD. The final 3 week phase, we will still spar, yet work on being explosive and clean. A combination of technique and intensity will pretty much sum up the final stages of training. I am bery excited about this fight and am looking forward to the training that is about to take place. I expect a well prepared Tom Lawlor come January 11th and I plan on defeating him. Understand this, I will bring the violence!

My next fight...2010

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:40:29 GMT

We just received word from the UFC that I will be fighting on January 11th in Ultimate Fight Night 20. We believe that the fight will be in Fairfax, Virginia and hopefully it is a main card on Spike TV! My opponent is no stranger to Arizona Combat Sports fighters or former Arizona State University Athletes. I am scheduled to fight Tom Lawlor. Tom was a member of the Ultimate Fighter on Spike TV Season 8. The thing about Tom is that he was KO'd on the show by Ryan Bader, then he won by decision over Kyle Kingsbury (former ASU football player and also on Season 8), and most recently, he pulled off an upset submission on C.B. Dollaway at UFC 100. Lawlor is a tough competitor with a wrestling background. He was a 3X college club wrestling champ from Florida. I am not exactly sure what that is, but he does know a little wrestling. He also has some Jiu Jitsu, as he has won a couple fights by submission. He also made some news as he showed up to weigh ins at UFC 100 with the words "Just Bleed" painted on his chest, which made many hard core MMA fans happy. You see, in 1997 back, in the early days of the UFC, a crazed fan had the same words painted on his chest and the UFC cameras shot a close up of him flexing and going crazy in the stands. Lawlor, playing the crowd and being a bit of a goof, decided to really ham it up at weigh ins against CB. Then the next night for his walk in, his teammate wore a dog collar and leash and Tom walked him to the cage with the "Who let the dogs out" song playing in the background. It was pretty funny from what people say. The biggest shocker was his 55 second submission of CB in the fight. We all thought CB was going to run through Tom. Well, goes to show you that you never know... Anyway, I am really excited about the opportunity to fight Lawlor. I feel that he is a great test for me and I will continue to train hard and smart for this fight. I am roughly 10 weeks out from the Jan 11th date and am planning my training regime right now. Nothing changes. I will wrestle, I will box, I will kick box, I will grapple, and i will run. I plan on being in the best shape of my life (again) and will enter the Octagon with intentions of breaking Tom Lawlor's will and getting my hand raised. Thank you all for your kind words. Make sure you watch Spike TV Jan. 11th as I will put on a show for you! Aaron

Post fight

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:05:46 GMT

Sorry I have not updated my blog since after the fight. I've been enjoying the down time a bit. Well, where should I start? I guess I'll talk a little bit about the fight, then give some thoughts on some other things. First off, an hour before the fight, I started my transformation (for lack of a better word) and really got focused for what I had to go out and do. It is funny now after talking to Eric Larkin (one of my cornermen) as to what he observed. He said it was "scary" to see me go into this mode. I was drilling with him during the warm up and he said he noticed a difference in my demeanor. Then Todd Lally (my trainer) said I was hitting mitts violently and told me that I really seem to turn it up come fight time. I always used to tell Pat Pitsch, when I coached him at ASU, that it was time to "Flip the switch!" Which is exactly how I describe my ability to go from being pretty low key to just straight violent. It is kinda weird...but I like it. The fight started like I wanted it to. Quickly with hands being thrown. No messing around with a "feel out" period. My gameplan was to overwhelm his with speed and strength and put him on his back until I KO'd him or he quit. I had a nice little slam from a single leg on the cage where I think I broke his will a bit. Add that in with a couple double leg takedowns and a right that dropped him and I thought that eventually he would break. My goal was to really turn it up on him in the 2nd so that he would have to quit. Unfortunately, his knee popped trying to throw a kick and the fight was stopped :17 into the 2nd round. I was happy it was over and that I was getting my hand raised. But, I guess that I would've liked to end it another way. Anyway, after the fight, we were all pretty excited. I rattled off some gibberish when being interview by Joe Rogan and then went to shower. I was given a ticket to sit cageside and was told that I should probably go use it. So, I left Bader, Lally, and Larkin to go sit elsewhere and went and watched the remainder of the fights. I was exhausted and could've easily fallen asleep sitting there. I sat close to former Sun Devil Basketball player and now Portland Trailblazer rookie Jeff Pendergraph. He told me good job and gave me the Sun Devil Pitchfork sign...kinda cool. Anyway, I was excited when I looked at the monitors during the 10 minute break before Couture's fight and saw that they were playing my fight. This was huge for my career. I immediately starting receiving texts from friends and tried to respond to as many as I could...eventually the battery on my phone died and I was actually relieved. After the fights, I wanted to get back to the hotel and meet up with my parents and my old ASU teammate Jeff Theiler to see what they had to say about the fight. I was nervous having my mom there and was not sure how she would take all of it. She blew my mind when she todl me that she actually liked it! I responded with, "you're crazy". All in all, it was a great week in Portland, where I got to spend time with Jeff Theiler (he lives and works in Portland), got to have Eric Larkin in my corner (which was pretty cool for us both) and also had Ryan Bader there to support me. Bader always is good at getting me going when I am about to fight...and finally, getting my hand raised again is also a great way to end the trip. Check back later when I give my recap of Ultimate Fight Night 19 where 3 of our guys, Carlos Condit, CB Dollaway and Steve Steinbeiss head to Oklahoma City to destroy their opponents. I will also be discussing the next Ultimate Fighter Season 10. Later days...

Am I nervous?

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 07:59:19 GMT

I get asked the question alot..."Do you get nervous for a fight?" I gotta honestly say, the nerves happen about 3 weeks out. You ask yourself, are you prepared? Are you ready? Will you be able to go 3 rounds? Will you dominate? At that point, I have to trust my training. I know that I put myself in the right environment to succeed. I train with the best camp and I do the extra that it takes to push the fight. Confidence comes from your training and preparation. Its like anything that you do. If you study hard for a test, you are more confident that you will pass with a high grade than if you studied little. I do everything that is asked of my trainers and then I do more. Around 2 weeks out from the fight, I start to sleep better. I know that my training is going to be there for me in my competition. I relax more. Start to enjoy my family more and my times with my kids. When I am not training, I am playing with the babies, relaxing and enjoying life. I tell myself, "I get to fight in the UFC!" I get to go out and perform in front of thousands and do what I train to do. It does not get much better than that. I leave for Portland on Tuesday the 25th of August. The UFC brings everyone in early to do all the media stuff and monitor everyone's weight. I love that time at the hotel. 5 days out, 4 days out, 3 days out, 2 days out, weigh-ins, 1 day out. FIGHT NIGHT! Time to shine! Can't wait...August 29th...Rose Garden Arena...UFC 102...Ed Herman.

Arizona State University News Release

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 01:40:43 GMT

Four Former Sun Devil Wrestlers Preparing for Upcoming UFC Fights:
TEMPE – Four former Arizona State University wrestling All-Americans are currently preparing for their upcoming fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), including one fight that could lead to a title shot. Those four mixed martial artists include Aaron ‘A-Train’ Simpson (August 29), C.B. ‘The Doberman’ Dollaway (September 16) and both Ryan ‘Darth’ Bader and Cain Velasquez (October 24).
A-Train is set to meet Ed ‘Short Fuse’ Herman in a middleweight (185 pounds) fight as part of UFC 102 card, which will be broadcast live on pay-per-view from the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Ore., and will be headlined by the Randy Couture-Antonia Rodrigo Nogueria main event. Simpson is currently 5-0 in his MMA career and stands 1-0 in the UFC after scoring a technical knock out of Tim McKenzie at 1:40 in the first round as part of the April 1 UFC Fight Night show. Prior to that, Simpson fought in the WEC and knocked out David Avellan by knock out just 18 seconds into the fight. Herman, who will be at home as he fights out of Portland, stands 17-6 overall in his career and is coming off a unanimous decision victory over David Loiseau at UFC 97 on April 19. Prior to that, Herman had lost his last two fights after winning three in a row.
The Doberman will return to the octagon against Dan Miller in a middleweight fight that will be held inside the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. The card will be broadcast live on Spike TV as part of UFC Fight Night, which will have a main event of Nate Diaz-Melvin Guillard. Dollaway, the runner-up of season seven of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), is currently 9-3 in his MMA career and stands 2-2 in the UFC. He will look to rebound from a loss to Tom Lawlor at UFC 100 (July 11) after he had won his previous two fights. Similarly to Dollaway, Miller also is looking to rebound from a recent loss as he fell in a unanimous decision to Chael Sonnen at UFC 98 after winning his previous two UFC fights by first round submissions. Miller holds a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Perhaps the biggest news for this group is the evolving (and unofficially announced) fight card for UFC 104, which will air on PPV live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It has been reported by several MMA web sites that UFC 104 will have a double main event which will include Velasquez taking on Shane ‘The Engineer’ Carwin as well as light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida defending his title against Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua. Bader also will be on the card as he will face Eric ‘Red’ Shafer in a light heavyweight battle.
Darth will fight first that night and will put his perfect 9-0 overall record and 2-0 mark in the UFC up against Shafer’s 11-3-2 record (3-2 in the UFC). Bader, the champion of TUF season eight, last fought on April 1 at UFC Fight Night and scored a unanimous decision victory over Carmelo Marrero. Prior to that, Bader won the TUF event by first round knock out at 2:08 over Vinny Magalhaes. Shafer fought twice in the UFC in 2006 and dropped both fights, but made a comeback in 2008 with a pair of wins before winning a third in January at UFC 93 when he scored a first round (3:35) technical knock out of Antonia Mendes. A black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Shafer won his previous two UFC fights by submission.
Following Bader will be a highly anticipated heavyweight battle with the winner of the Velasquez-Carwin fight being named the number one contender to the heavyweight title that is currently held by Brock Lesnar. Velasquez, one of the top up-and-coming heavyweights, will take on another fighter carrying a similar moniker as both are undefeated in their careers. At 6-0 all-time and 4-0 in the UFC, Velasquez as an All-American heavyweight wrestler for the Sun Devils while, similarly, Carwin was a three-time All-American and one-time heavyweight champion at NCAA Division II Western State (Colorado). Velasquez last fought at UFC 99 (July 13) where he won by unanimous decision over Cheick Congo after winning his previous three fights by TKO. Carwin stands 11-0 all-time and 3-0 in the UFC with none of his 11 fights making it past the 2:11 mark in the first round. In the UFC, he has won all three in under 1:31, including a 1:09 knock-out of Gabriel Gonzago at UFC 96 (March 7).
Fans can get more information on each of these fighters by visiting their web sites: Simpson - www.AaronSimpson.me Dollaway - www.CBDollaway.com Bader - www.RyanBader.com Velasquez (UFC profile) - http://www.ufc.com/CainVelasquez

Alex Ryan Associate Media Relations Director Arizona State University SID for: Cross Country, Track & Field Water Polo and Wrestling

Alright...this is finally it!

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 09:32:13 GMT

As many know, my fight has changed several times...well, we have one last "final" change! Joe Silva (the UFC matchmaker) recently called our gym for CB Dollaway, wanting him to fight Ed Herman on August 29th (in 3 weeks) at UFC 102 in Portland, because Herman's opponent withdrew due to and injury. CB has not been training because he was told he was under suspension from his last fight. So, I told them that I would take the fight against Herman (who I was originally scheduled to fight anyway in Sept) and CB would take my fight against Dan Miller at UFC Fight Night 19 in Oklahoma City. The back story to this is, I was first told on July 3rd that I would be fighting Sept 16th against Dan Miller. Then, for some reason that did not happen and I was told that I would be fighting Ed Herman. We signed contracts and that was that. Then, Ed decides to take an earlier fight in his home town of Portland because there was a withdrawal due to injury. So, therefore I again was told that I would be fighting Dan Miller. Then, Herman's guy goes down and we are now where we are! Craziness has unfolded over the past few weeks and I am just ready to fight! Anyway, I am 3 weeks out of the biggest fight of my career and I am priming to take him out! Ed Herman is a tough opponent and will be a great test for me. I look forward to stepping in that octogon and doing battle! Just thought I would clear somethings up for all who are following. Thanks, Aaron

New Opponent for Sept 16th

Thu, 6 Aug 2009 08:10:05 GMT

I've got a new opponent for UFC Fight Night 19. Ed Herman took a fight in his hometown as a fill in for an injured James Irvin. I now have, who I originally thought, Dan Miller. Nothing changes. Still train hard and look to finish.