Leben Loss an ‘Eye-Opener,’ Simpson Has to Rebound Against Friend

Aaron Simpson isn’t used to losing.

A standout wrestler who lost just once in high school and was a two-time All-American in college, Simpson (Pictured) was 7-0 in MMA when Chris Leben stopped him in June at the TUF 11 Finale.

“It was an eye-opener for me,” Simpson said of his first defeat during a recent “Savage Dog Show” interview on the Sherdog Radio Network. “It was a learning experience. I think you learn from your losses maybe more than you do from your wins. It was definitely kind of hard for me to swallow at the time, but I’ve moved on. I’ve learned from it and moved on. I’m really anxious to get back in there.”

Simpson returns Saturday at UFC 123. He fights Mark Munoz in a preliminary bout that will air on Spike TV. The middleweight matchup will be their first meeting in a cage, but they’ve faced off elsewhere: Simpson outpointed Munoz in a college wrestling match. However, Simpson doesn’t think their previous encounter is on his opponent’s mind.

“Nah, I doubt it,” he said. “Maybe a little bit, but that was so long ago, and he was a freshman and I was a senior. He almost knocked me off. It was a good match. He’s done a lot in his career. I can’t imagine that he’s stewing over that or anything.”

Munoz went on to become an NCAA champion at Oklahoma State. Simpson never won a title at Arizona State, but he did push his wrestling career farther than Munoz’s, eventually competing at the Olympic Trials and climbing as high as a No. 2 ranking at his weight on the national freestyle ladder.

Still, Simpson considers his wrestling “pretty equal” with Munoz’s, and he should know. They’re friends. They’ve trained together too, though they are not teammates or regular training partners.

“We’re pretty good friends,” Simpson said. “Anytime we see each other, we hang out. We trained together anytime we were in the [same] vicinity, or if he was out here, we’d go up to ASU and work out. We’re close, and the fact is that he’s just a great guy. He’s not an ass or anything. He’s an upstanding guy and a great father and a great husband and a good role model for people to follow. I’ve got a lot of respect for him.”

One might wonder if Simpson is prepared to hurt a friend like Munoz. If he has Munoz reeling, will he hesitate to deliver the finishing blow?

“I hope not, and I hope it doesn’t go through his head either,” Simpson said. “Because it is a fight, and we are there for a reason. But we’ll see. I’ll address it when I get to it, I guess. I’m not sure how I’m going to react. I’d like to say I’m just going to go out there and fight it like any other fight, but we’ll see. That’s a good question.”

Not only does the fight pit two friends against each other, it’s a bout both need to win. Like Simpson, Munoz is coming off a loss, having dropped a split decision in August to Yushin Okami.

Simpson is envisioning a slugfest.

“I imagine that’s exactly what it’s going to be,” he said. “I don’t think it’s just going to be strictly a wrestling match, although there will be some wrestling involved, but I think it’s going to be everywhere. … I feel like that’s one area where I could possibly get him at, is on my feet. But you never know. You can get caught. He dropped Okami with a hook. He throws some pretty heavy leather, but I like my chances. I like my chances standing up. I like my chances wrestling with him too. It’s going to be a good one.”

Simpson is 36, but he hasn’t spent nearly as long in the sport as his contemporaries. With a win, he sees himself getting back on track to title contention.

“This victory obviously [is one] I gotta get,” Simpson said. “I gotta get this one to get me back on track. I feel like my skill level is right there and only getting better, especially with the training partners now and coaches that we have helping me. I still have some time. I still feel like I have four years left in me to really put a good career together and make a good run. That would be a seven-year fight career. Not too bad.”

Listen to the full interview (beginning at 1:30:35) with Simpson, who also discussed training with Josh Koscheck and Ronaldo Souza.