UFC on Fuel TV 4 results recap: Aaron Simpson vs Kenny Robertson fight review and analysis

A big-time UFC veteran made the cut down to welterweight last night (July 11, 2012) as "The A-Train" Aaron Simpson took on returning UFC fighter Kenny Robertson on the UFC on FUEL TV 4 main card in San Jose, California.

Simpson was dropping from middleweight to 170 pounds for the first time in his career at 37 years old and while many would have thought his conditioning might be suspect with the weight cut, he was actually the better conditioned fighter as the fight wore on.

Robertson put up a fight early but completely faded down the stretch.

So what in particular helped Simpson make his welterweight debut a successful one? And what happens next for both men?

Follow me after the jump for our Aaron Simpson vs. Kenny Robertson UFC on FUEL TV 4 post-fight review and analysis.

Early on, Robertson put up pretty solid resistance. He fended off most of Simpson's takedown attempts and even when he did get taken down, he popped right back to his feet and traded leather with him.

A very notable exchange occurred when Simpson attempted a pair of takedowns only to have Robertson deftly roll free of danger on back-to-back occasions and then blast "The A-Train" with a nice right hand as soon as he got to his feet.

Unfortunately for Robertson, that was pretty much the end of his offense as he really began to fade after the first round.

Each time Simpson took him down after that, it became more of a chore for the returning UFC fighter to get back to his feet and eventually, he was just stuck on his back until either a referee stand-up or the round ended.

To his credit, Simpson was aggressive with ground and pound and despite clearly having the fight in the bag, he made a real effort to finish it in the final 20 seconds when he didn't have to and easily won a unanimous decision.

For Kenny Robertson, he has to really work on his conditioning. Taking the fight on short notice is no excuse because he had more than a month to get ready. The fact that he gassed before a 37 year old who was making a huge weight cut for the first time is embarrassing. When he was fresh, the fight was at least entertaining but once his cardio failed him, this turned into a beatdown.

If the UFC doesn't cut him again after one fight (and they might), potential opponents include Rich Attonito, T.J. Waldburger or perhaps Stephen Thompson

For Aaron Simpson, I was impressed with how aggressive he was at the end of the fight and with how relentless he was with takedown attempts but other than that, there wasn't much else to see here. He extended his career by dropping down to welterweight and he'll be able to bully several fighters in this division with his wrestling and his strength.

Potential opponents for Simpson include the originally planned bout with Jon Fitch if Fitch can get back to training soon. Other possibilities include Demian Maia or veteran Mike Pyle.

So what did you think, Maniacs?

How did Simpson look in his welterweight debut? Will Robertson get a third chance to get his first UFC win?

Sound off!

For complete UFC on FUEL TV 4 results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here.