Fairfax, Va. -- Aaron Simpson got booed, but it was not his fault.
Simpson scored an unpopular split-decision victory over Tom Lawlor on Monday in UFC Fight Night 20 to the dismay of the crowd at the Patriot Center.
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Lawlor (6-2) nearly had the fight finished in the first round, but Simpson regained his composure and managed to get the nod from the judges, amid a seas of boos. He and Simpson also each received $30,000 bonus for fight of the night.
"He came at me hard," said Simpson (7-0), "He surprised me a little bit, hit me harder than I though he would. I thought I was going to be able to stop his takedowns."
Simpson did well to survive as Lawlor had his way in a decisive first round. The first 90 seconds were action-packed as Lawlor got the better of a stand up battle. Then Lawlor turned it on and hurt Simpson with a series of upper cuts. Simpson tried desperately for a takedown that Lawlor stuffed, and Lawlor paid him back with some dirty boxing.
Lawlor won the standup for the first two minutes of the second round when Simpson secured a takedown. Lawlor used the fence to get up after 15 seconds and spun Simpson's back against the fence. They went back to the middle of the Octagon for the last minute and a half. Lawlor used a guillotine takedown in the final moments to secure the round in the mind of judge Jeff Blatnick, but not Eric Colon and Sal D'Amato.
Lawlor was relaxed again in the third as he peppered Simpson, who got a half-slam with 3:50 left but allowed his opponent up. Simpson got a nearly identical drop 25 seconds later, with the same result.
Simpson worked from guard for a mount, eventually going for Lawlor's back in what turned out to be a ground stalemate. Simpson went into Wrestling 101, which got him the round -- and the fight.
The victory gave Arizona Combat Sports a modicum of retribution on Lawlor, who choked out CB Dolloway in 55 seconds at UFC 100.
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