Evan Neil Dunham (born December 18, 1981) is an American professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

competing in the

lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) weight class in the sport of boxing. Notable lightweight b ...

division. He is perhaps best known for 21-fight tenure in the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

which spanned over a decade.

Background

Dunham, born and raised in

Eugene, Oregon Eugene ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast. As of the 2020 United States Census ...

, began

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

in middle school and continued at Winston Churchill High School. Dunham later attended the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

, and in 2000 he began training in

Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting ( ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

. He graduated with a degree in sociology, and worked in various jobs before becoming a fighter full-time.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

In an amateur bout in 2006 (a year before his professional debut), Dunham fought fellow future UFC lightweight title challenger

Gray Maynard Bradley Gray Maynard (born May 9, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Between 2008 and 2011, he competed in a noted rivalry with former UFC Lightweigh ...

. Dunham lost the fight via unanimous decision. Dunham made his professional debut in 2007; he had five fights total that year. After winning six straight, Dunham was invited to fight for

Palace Fighting Championship Palace Fighting Championship (PFC) was a mixed martial arts (MMA) organization based in the United States that was created in 2007 by Christian Printup. It ceased operations in 2009. In 2001, Printup helped promotional newcomers Reed Harris and ...

, a mid-size organization. He won his fight over Team Alpha Male's Dustin Akbari via

rear-naked choke The rear naked choke (RNC) is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. The word "naked" in this context suggests that, unlike other strangulation techniques found in jujutsu/judo, this hold does not require the use of a keiko ...

submission and remained undefeated.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Dunham made his UFC debut on February 21, 2009 against

Per Eklund Per Torsten Eklund (born 21 June 1946) is a Swedish Rally and Rallycross driver. His nickname is "Pekka". In rallying he never made it to the very top but he has been very successful in his later rallycross career. Biography Saab works d ...

at UFC 95. He showed an aggressive style, knocking the more experienced Eklund out with a straight left at 2:14 of round one. Dunham had his second fight in the UFC when he defeated returning veteran

Marcus Aurélio Marcus Aurélio Martins (; born 18 August 1973) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He formerly fought for the PRIDE Fighting Championships and for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He currently does stunt and mo-cap work, after an MMA care ...

via split decision at UFC 102. He showed quick and accurate striking skills and displayed some excellent submission defense against the seasoned grappler. Dunham's third fight was against The Ultimate Fighter 8 winner,

Efrain Escudero Efraín Escudero (born January 15, 1986) is a Mexican mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He trains under Drew Fickett and competes in the 155 lb (70.3 kg) weight class. Efrain was the winner of season eight of Spike TV's reality ...

on January 11, 2010 at

UFC Fight Night 20 ''UFC Fight Night: Maynard vs. Diaz'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 20'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on January 11, 2010 at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia. Background Nik Lentz ...

where the fight was the co-main event. Dunham rallied from a rough first round, taking the second and finally finishing with an armbar in the third round, nearly breaking Escudero's arm. The submission earned him an extra $30,000 for winning ''Submission of the Night'' honors. Dunham faced Xtreme Couture standout and ex-training partner

Tyson Griffin Tyson Lee Griffin (born April 20, 1984) is a retired American mixed martial artist who competed in the lightweight division. He competed for the UFC, Strikeforce, the RFA, and the World Series of Fighting. Background Griffin was a standout wre ...

, on June 12, 2010 at UFC 115. Dunham was dominant in all three rounds, taking Griffin's back on numerous occasions and effectively countering strikes. He won the fight via split decision. Dunham faced former

UFC Lightweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

Sean Sherk Sean Keith Sherk (born August 5, 1973) is a retired American mixed martial artist and former UFC Lightweight Champion. Sherk competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and was one of the first combatants to have been a championship competitor ...

on September 25, 2010 at UFC 119. He received the first loss of his MMA career via controversial split decision. Sherk utilized his wrestling during round 1, opening up a large cut above Dunham's right eye and boxing well in the early part of round 2, while Dunham utilized submissions and effective striking throughout the latter parts of rounds 2 and 3. UFC president

Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who serves as president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at $500 milli ...

later said that he felt Dunham was 'robbed'. The bout was awarded ''Fight of the Night'' honors. Dunham was expected to face Kenny Florian at UFC 126, but the bout instead was moved to headline UFC Fight Night 23 on January 22, 2011. Dunham confirmed the fight on his personal Facebook page. However, on December 6, Florian pulled out of the bout due to injury. Instead,

Melvin Guillard Melvin Paul Guillard, Jr. (born March 30, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Middleweight division. Guillard most notably competed in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Bellator MMA ...

, who had been set to fight

Yves Edwards Yves Ed'duvill Edwards (born September 30, 1976) is a Bahamian retired mixed martial artist, who is best known for competing in the UFC's Lightweight division, fighting 21 times in the promotion. A professional competitor since 1997, he also comp ...

on the preliminary card, took on Dunham in the main event. Dunham lost via TKO in the first round after getting continuously hit by combinations from the much faster Guillard. Dunham was expected to face

George Sotiropoulos George Sotiropoulos (born 9 July 1977) is an Australian born retired mixed martial artist of Greek descent who previously fought in the UFC in their Lightweight division. He is well known for appearing as a fighter on the TV show '' The Ultimat ...

on July 2, 2011 at

UFC 132 ''UFC 132: Cruz vs. Faber'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background UFC 132 was originally set to feature a rematch between B.J. Pen ...

. However, he was forced out of the bout due to an injury and replaced by Rafael dos Anjos. Dunham faced

Shamar Bailey Shamar Bailey is a retired American mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2006, Bailey has formerly competed for the UFC, Strikeforce, Bellator, M-1 Global, and was a competitor on ...

on September 17, 2011 at UFC Fight Night 25. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Dunham was expected to face Paul Sass on January 28, 2012 at UFC on Fox 2. However, Sass was dropped from the bout because of an injury and replaced by

Nik Lentz Nik Lentz (born August 13, 1984) is an American retired mixed martial artist. He most notably fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, fighting in the lightweight division. Background Lentz was born in El Paso, Texas but grew up in Twin C ...

. Dunham defeated Lentz via TKO (doctor stoppage) at the conclusion of the second round. The back and forth action earned both fighters ''Fight of the Night'' honors for their performance. Dunham was expected to face Edson Barboza on May 26, 2012 at UFC 146, but was forced from the event with another injury and replaced by returning veteran Jamie Varner. Dunham lost to T. J. Grant via unanimous decision on September 22, 2012 at UFC 152. Both fighters were awarded ''Fight of the Night'' honors. Dunham faced

Gleison Tibau Janigleison Herculano Alves, better known as Gleison Tibau (; born July 10, 1983) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently competing in the Lightweight division of Professional Fighters League. A professional since 1999, he has competed for ...

on February 2, 2013 at UFC 156. He won the fight via split decision. Dunham next fought Rafael dos Anjos on May 18, 2013 at

UFC on FX 8 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. Dunham lost the back-and-forth fight via unanimous decision. Dunham next opponent was

Donald Cerrone Donald Cerrone (born March 29, 1983), known professionally by his nickname "Cowboy", is an American retired mixed martial artist, actor, and former professional kickboxer. He competed in the Lightweight and Welterweight division for the Ult ...

at UFC 167. Dunham lost the fight via submission in the second round. Dunham was expected to face

Mark Bocek Mark Andrew Bocek ( cs, Boček; born October 24, 1981) is a Canadian retired mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor for ten years from 2004 to 2014, Bocek has ...

on April 16, 2014 at The Ultimate Fighter Nations Finale. However, Dunham pulled out of the bout in the week leading up to the event with an undisclosed injury. Dunham fought Edson Barboza on July 16, 2014 at UFC Fight Night 45. Dunham lost the fight via TKO in the first round. Dunham faced

Rodrigo Damm Rodrigo Damm (; born 3 February 1980) is a Brazilian retired professional mixed martial artist who last competed in the Lightweight division of the UFC. A professional since 2004, he also competed for World Victory Road, Strikeforce, Jungle ...

on January 3, 2015 at UFC 182. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Dunham defeated

Ross Pearson Ross Pearson (born 26 September 1984) is a retired English mixed martial artist who last competed in 2019. A 26-fight veteran of the UFC, he was a three-time "Fight of the Night" winner and was the lightweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter 9 ...

on July 18, 2015 at

UFC Fight Night 72 ''UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Leites'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 72'') was a mixed martial arts event held on 18 July 2015 at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland. Background After previously hosting 15 events at various locations around ...

. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Dunham faced Joe Lauzon on December 11, 2015 at The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Dunham was expected to face Leonardo Santos on June 4, 2016 at

UFC 199 ''UFC 199: Rockhold vs. Bisping 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held on June 4, 2016, at The Forum in Inglewood, California. Background While this was the first time the organization has held an event at the venue, it was the fifth time that U ...

. However, Santos pulled out on April 29 due to an undisclosed injury and was replaced by

James Vick James William Vick (born February 23, 1987) is a retired American mixed martial artist and boxer who formerly competed in the welterweight and lightweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Vick was a cast member of '' The ...

. In turn, Dunham pulled out of that pairing on May 5 for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Beneil Dariush. Dunham was scheduled to face Abel Trujillo on September 17, 2016 at UFC Fight Night 94. However, Trujillo pulled out of the fight on September 5, citing an undisclosed injury and was replaced by former WSOF Featherweight Champion and promotional newcomer Ricky Glenn. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Both participants were awarded ''Fight of the Night'' for their performance. The bout with Trujillo was rescheduled and was expected to take place on February 4, 2017 at UFC Fight Night 104. However, on January 19, Dunham pulled out of the fight with an injury and was replaced by

. Dunham fought Beneil Dariush on October 7, 2017 at UFC 216. The fight ended in a majority draw. Dunham was expected to face Mairbek Taisumov on April 7, 2018 at UFC 223. However, Taisumov was removed from the fight on March 9 for alleged visa issues, restricting his travel. Dunham instead faced

Olivier Aubin-Mercier Olivier Aubin-Mercier (; born February 23, 1989) is a Canadian mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division of the Professional Fighters League. He formerly competed for the UFC until October 2019 when he became a free agent. A p ...

at the event. He lost the fight by TKO in the first round. Dunham faced Francisco Trinaldo on September 22, 2018 at UFC Fight Night 137. He lost the fight via knockout in the second round due to a knee to the body. He announced his retirement after the fight. Dunham returned from retirement and was scheduled to face Michael Johnson on April 25, 2020. However, on April 9,

, the president of UFC announced that the event was postponed to a future date and the matchup was later scrapped. Dunham faced Herbert Burns on June 6, 2020 at UFC 250 in a 150 lb catchweight bout. He lost the bout via first round submission and was subsequently released from the promotion.

Championships and accomplishments

** Fight of the Night (Four times) ** Submission of the Night (One time)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, , Herbert Burns , Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC 250 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:20 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

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São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–7–1 ,

, TKO (knees to the body and punches) , UFC 223 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:53 ,

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, behi ...

, United States , , - , Draw , align=center, 18–6–1 , Beneil Dariush , Draw (majority) , UFC 216 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–6 , Ricky Glenn , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Johnson , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Hidalgo, Texas Hidalgo is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. The population was 11,198 at the 2010 census, and in 2019 the estimated population was 14,183. History The area that is now Hidalgo was first settled by Spanish colonists led by José ...

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, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Leites , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated pop ...

, Scotland , , - , Win , align=center, 15–6 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC 182 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–6 , Edson Barboza , TKO (body kick and punches) , UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Miller , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:06 ,

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–5 ,

, Submission (triangle choke) , UFC 167 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:49 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–4 , Rafael dos Anjos , Decision (unanimous) , UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Rockhold , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Jaraguá do Sul Jaraguá do Sul () is a city in the north of the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. History The city was founded on July 25, 1876, by engineer and Brazilian Army colonel Emílio Carlos Jourdan and his family. The city was originally named jus ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 14–3 ,

, Decision (split) , UFC 156 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–3 , T. J. Grant , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 152 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 13–2 ,

, TKO (doctor stoppage) , UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Shields vs. Ellenberger , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, TKO (knees) , UFC: Fight for the Troops 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:58 ,

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, Decision (split) , UFC 119 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, Decision (split) , UFC 115 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 10–0 ,

, Submission (armbar) , UFC Fight Night: Maynard vs. Diaz , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:59 ,

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, Decision (split) , UFC 102 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populou ...

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, KO (punches) , UFC 95 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:13 ,

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Dustin Akbari , Submission (rear-naked choke) , PFC 12: High Stakes , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:40 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Eben Kaneshiro , TKO (punches) , RFC: Bragging Rights II , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:05 ,

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Cleber Luciano Cleber Luciano Born December 15th 1973 is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the featherweight division. Background Born and raised in Brazil, Luciano began judo at the age of five and Brazilian jiu-jitsu at th ...

, Submission (guillotine choke) , PFP: Ring of Fire , , align=center, 3 , align=center, N/A ,

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, Philippines , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Talon Hoffman , Submission (guillotine choke) , DesertBrawl , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:38 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Gabriel Martinez , Decision (unanimous) , GC 62: Sprawl or Brawl , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dunham, Evan Living people 1981 births American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from Oregon Lightweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Sportspeople from Eugene, Oregon Oregon Ducks wrestlers Wrestlers from Oregon Winston Churchill High School (Eugene, Oregon) alumni Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters