simms turned pro at the age of 26 and stopped his first seven opponents. although he was undefeated for twelve years and rarely got hit due to his defensive skills, he saw limited action due to promotional difficulties. in 2005, he fought to a highly controversial draw in the hometown of robert frazier at the turning stone casino in may, 2005. following a two-year layoff, simms won five straight fights before losing for the first time in late 2009 to title contender allan green by decision. simms accepted the bout against green on eight days' notice. after the close loss to green, a bout which some ringsiders scored a draw, simms signed with advisor matt yanofsky and inked a promotional deal with new jersey–based main events. he won two consecutive bouts heading into 2012, with his eye on another significant fight.