Still undefeated in the eyes of his boss, UFN 23's Dunham not looking past Guillard

If there's one thing you can always count on when it comes to UFC president Dana White, it's that he won't hold back when he gives you his opinion.

And so it is with White's opinion of top lightweight contender Evan Dunham (11-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC).

"The way that I look at Evan Dunham right now is this kid's undefeated," White said. "He got screwed, and everybody ... knows a big problem in mixed martial arts right now is some of this judging. I think Evan Dunham won his fight. So, you know, on his record he's 11-1, but this kid's one of the most talented, up-and-coming kids in the division."

It's high praise from the UFC boss, but it's a sentiment shared by many MMA fans and observers, alike.

Dunham debuted for the UFC with a short-notice fight against Per Eklund at UFC 95 in England. He shocked the Swede with a first-round knockout win and promptly ran off four-straight wins in the octagon by mowing down Marcus Aurelio, Efrain Escudero and Tyson Griffin.

Then it happened.

After a tough three-round contest at UFC 119 with former lightweight champion Sean Sherk, Dunham was handed a split-decision result for his first-ever professional loss. Many fans considered the September 2010 result the definition of a robbery.

Dunham isn't holding a grudge.

"It definitely sucks to have your undefeated record taken away like that, but it is what it is," Dunham said. "There's no going back and changing it. As far as dealing with a loss, I lost as an amateur. I've dealt with losses before and I know how to come back from them.

"It's a bummer, but I've just got to deal with it the best I can. That fight happened the way it happened for a reason, and that's kind of how I'm looking at it."

White proved his praise is more than just lip service by booking Dunham in the main event of next week's "UFC Fight Night 23: UFC Fight for the Troops 2" event at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas. Fighters rebounding from a loss aren't generally booked in the featured slot of a UFC event, and Dunham realizes the uniqueness of his situation.

"I really appreciate [White viewing my last fight as a win] and treating it like that," Dunham said. "It just shows that that's how they feel, and it's nice for them to express that so I know how they feel instead of just being left in the dark about it.

"It's a good thing to hear, and it's motivating. You know, it helps me keep my head up, and I really appreciate it."

Dunham was initially expected to face Kenny Florian, but the perennial contender was forced to withdraw from the contest due to injury. Melvin Guillard (26-8-2 MMA, 9-4 UFC), a 13-time UFC veteran, was instead booked for the fight.

Guillard is currently riding a streak of six wins in seven fights, and White admitted the winner of the contest will factor immediately into the increasingly cloudy lightweight title picture.

"This is a big fight in the 155-pound division," White said. "The winner of this fight – it puts these guys right in the mix in that already stacked, waiting-in-line 155-pound division."

But after having his undefeated record snatched away just four months ago, Dunham refuses to look beyond the next stop on the road.

"I just worry about one thing at a time, and all that's on my plate right now is getting through Melvin on the 22nd," Dunham said. "I try not to look too much ahead. That's just me. I take one thing at a time, and if I just take care of what's in front of me, then good things will happen down the road.

"My goal in life is to hold that belt, so all I think about, all I worry about, is getting through Melvin on the 22nd, and then the rest will take care of itself."