Rising lightweight shrugs off controversial defeat

Not even a loss has been able to slow the momentum that Evan Dunham has built in his rapid ascension in the Ultimate Fighting Championship's lightweight division.

The 29-year-old entered the organization with a 7-0 professional record and won his first four UFC fights, including victories over former "The Ultimate Fighter" winner Efrain Escudero and perennial contender Tyson Griffin, to become one of the UFC's top prospects.

Dunham's undefeated run ended with a split-decision loss to Sean Sherk at UFC 119 in September, but most observers disagreed with the judges' verdict.

"It definitely sucks to have your undefeated record taken away like that, but it is what it is. There's no going back and changing it," said Dunham, who trains in Las Vegas. "I've just got to deal with it the best I can."

Dunham will try to bounce back against Melvin Guillard in the main event of the Fight for the Troops 2 card Saturday at Fort Hood, Texas.

UFC president Dana White said the organization doesn't think any less of the young star coming off a loss, largely because of the way it went down.

"The way I look at Evan Dunham right now is this kid's undefeated. He got screwed," White said. "On his record he's 11-1, but this kid's one of the most talented, up-and-coming kids in the division.''

So is Guillard.

The 27-year-old has won six of his last seven fights and appears to have finally harnessed all his talent under the tutelage of famed trainer Greg Jackson. Guillard's early career was marred by anger and substance-abuse issues, but those seem to be in the past.

Guillard said he also views Dunham as undefeated and would like to hand him his first legitimate loss.

Dunham is thankful for the outpouring of support he received from fans who thought he was robbed against Sherk and for the UFC giving him a main-event fight after a loss.

"It just shows that's how they feel, and it's nice for them to express that," he said.

Dunham said he has moved on from the controversy but that the loss provided a valuable lesson.

"There were things that I did wrong that I can change in the future," he said. "All I can do is learn from it. Hopefully, I can prevent that from happening again."

The controversial defeat has certainly boosted Dunham's popularity with casual fans. While his stock was already soaring among hard-core mixed martial arts followers, Dunham was still somewhat obscure to a large segment of the fan base.

Even Sherk said he had to research Dunham when he found out he was a potential opponent.

"It never really bothered me," Dunham said of keeping a low profile. "If I go out there and fight my ass off, people will take notice."

Saturday's card, which also features two heavyweight fights and a pivotal featherweight matchup, airs live on Spike (Cable 29) at 6 p.m.

Matt Mitrione and Tim Hague will square off in one heavyweight match, and Pat Barry will meet Joey Beltran in the other.

Also, Mark Hominick can gain a title shot against featherweight champion Jose Aldo with a win over George Roop.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509.