Aaron Simpson to Make Welterweight Debut Against Jon Fitch at UFC on Fuel TV 4

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Aaron Simpson’s rumored drop to welterweight has become reality. The former middleweight revealed yesterday that he will fight longtime 170-pound standout Jon Fitch at UFC on Fuel TV 4.

Simpson confirmed the July 11 booking yesterday on his official Twitter feed. “A-Train” also verified that his fight with Fitch will be featured on the event’s main card, which will be headlined by a middleweight confrontation between Mark Munoz and Chris Weidman. UFC on Fuel TV 4 takes place at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

Simpson rebounded from back-to-back defeats in 2010 by posting three straight wins in 2011, outpointing Mario Miranda, Brad Tavares and Eric Schafer. The World Extreme Cagefighting alumnus was turned away in his most recent outing, however, as the 37-year-old dropped a split decision to Ronny Markes in February. Simpson ends his UFC middleweight stint with an Octagon record of 6-3.

Fitch was knocked out by Johny Hendricks in his last appearance at UFC 141, falling in just 12 seconds courtesy of a hard overhand left. Regarded by many as one of the sport’s top pound-for-pound talents, Fitch has only lost to Hendricks and longtime welterweight king Georges St. Pierre since joining the Las Vegas-based promotion in 2005. The American Kickboxing Academy standout holds notable career wins over Diego Sanchez, Mike Pierce and Thiago Alves (twice), among others.