A certain aura surrounding some fights tells you it is big. Even when not considering the packed crowds, the excited commentators or the over-the-top video packages, there’s a vibe you can pick up on that simply says: “This is a big deal.”
That’s the type of feeling that came through my screen and into my room when I loaded up UFC 40, “Vendetta.”
It felt like all of the cards fell into place perfectly when UFC 40 took place in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Tito Ortiz was on a dominant reign at light heavyweight, putting on strong performances at the top of the division. He was cocky and a great talker. But returning from professional wrestling – and bringing his fame from the performance art with him – was Ken Shamrock, who wanted to teach him a lesson.
Ortiz and Shamrock had a stellar grudge match to market that elevated the fight immensely. This wasn’t “Watch two talented killers fight.” It was “Watch two guys that hate each other’s guts fight for respect, oh and there’s also a title on the line.”
Shamrock took issue with the disrespect that Ortiz showed even after being an opponent. Nearly six years removed from when he was fighting in the real early years of the UFC, he was coming back to restore order. With or without a title, this was a fight that would garner some eyeballs.
Shamrock’s trash talk was incredible. At times, it became a too intense to believe. In a hype video for this match, Shamrock said he would either get his respect or die. And during a press conference, he delivered a line that is legendary: “At the MGM Grand right here, when the gate shuts and the bell rings, Tito Ortiz is going to find out what Ken Shamrock is all about. I guarantee you that. So if I was you, I hope to God you come ready. Because if you don’t? I’m going to beat you into livin’ death.”
Over the top? So serious that it loops back around to being unserious? Sure. But it worked.
“This was a chance for the sport to shine, and shine it did,” wrote Greg Savage of Sherdog. UFC 40 did a crowd of over 13,000 and a buyrate of roughly 150,000 on pay-per-view. Those numbers might sound run of the mill nowadays, but in an era where UFC was trying to find any sign of growth, it was music to their ears. While the revisionist history of UFC will tell you that it was a failed organization until “The Ultimate Fighter” came in and changed everything, it’s clear when watching some of these cards that something was already brewing in 2002.
There was legitimate interest around this card that wasn’t just the usual mainstream coverage of “What is this event and am I either repulsed by it or love it?” People were talking about Ortiz and Shamrock. They were there to see that specific fight. Among the small number of readers that follow this column, two of them mentioned that this was the first event they ordered.
Even outside of the cage, it felt like UFC was finally putting together pieces of its identity that are linked to it even nowadays. Joe Rogan, who was becoming a popular name due to his hosting gig on “Fear Factor” which started up just a year before, joined Mike Goldberg on commentary. Rogan played the role of a knowledgeable fan. He was there to tell you what he liked and, quite bluntly at times, what he didn’t. Despite being a fan and an ambassador for the sport, there was something nice about having someone there who will say what he dislikes. As much as I can be a critic of his modern performances on the broadcast mic, he was really enjoyable on this show.
This was also the first-ever event that saw UFC utilize Stemm’s “Face The Pain” for its intro. As much as that song feels like it leans into the barbaric and brutal themes of cage fighting – something UFC has arguably tried to clean up over the past decade so that you can mention MMA to a coworker without having to feel like you need to hide your face by the end of the conversation – there’s no denying that the song is perfect for the intro. It fires you up and gets you ready for an event no matter its quality. It’s no surprise that the song was used not just on this show, but for many others in the decades to come.
Overall, it seems like UFC 40 was an event deemed a success by critics. They got people interested with a great build, then they put on a show that featured numerous big performances. That’s all it takes! Let’s travel back to November 22, 2002, for the latest Throwback Thursday.
Shamrock Gets A Nasty Welcome Back
Ken Shamrock didn’t have an easy night in Vegas. Tito Ortiz came in with a very solid gameplan to win his match, one that Shamrock didn’t have much of a match for.
While Shamrock was able to land when the fight was on the feet, he was essentially helpless on the ground. Ortiz took him down early in the first round and spent a large part of the frame pounding on him.
“Ken is doing nothing but holding on,” Rogan remarked. After a clear first round to Ortiz, the second felt like it could have been a 10-8. 30 seconds in, Ortiz lands a beautiful single leg takedown to return the fight to the mat. Punches and elbows hurt Shamrock and put Ortiz up two rounds to one.
Shamrock looked tired and hurt heading into the third. The chances of this fight becoming anything other than what it had already presented itself as were slim to none. Ortiz unleashed a combo and then shot in for a double leg takedown to start round three. The fight returned to the feet with a minute to go. Shamrock’s face was wearing the damage of three lost rounds. The explosive shots that he scored weren’t arriving anymore. This fight was over, and his corner sensed it. After three rounds, Shamrock’s team made the wise decision to end things.
It was probably too hopeful to assume that Shamrock would have a good chance against Ortiz. His time away from the UFC, when not involved in professional wrestling, saw him lose fights in Pride or score small-time wins. With that being said, was it a bad idea to make this fight? Absolutely not. There was a perfect storyline and a fight that, to most people at least, was close enough to throw money towards buying.
Ortiz came off as a glorious champion on top of the world. Although, as we know, his reign will soon come to an end.
The Liddell Question
After UFC 40, the potential next challenger looked to be Chuck Liddell. In the co-main event spot of the card, Liddell steamrolled Renato “Babalu” Sobral in the first round with a head kick stoppage. This victory meant he had an impressive 12 wins and just one loss, including previous UFC appearances against Vitor Belfort and Murilo Bustamante. It seemed like he was the surefire next challenger. After Ortiz’s win, the commentary was talking about a fight between the two.
While it wasn’t entirely clear at the time, there were signs that the top light heavyweights wouldn’t collide next. When asked about the fight, Ortiz provided an unenthusiastic response, mentioning that he will need to be paid more to get the fight done and fight a friend. Not the type of comment that suggests it would happen soon.
Whether it be money, friendship, or politics, they didn’t fight in 2003. But luckily this isn’t a story where they never cross paths and become a “What could’ve been” story. No, they’ll certainly meet in the future, and they’ll be a massive rivalry in the coming years.
Hughes Remains Dominant With Controversial Win
By late 2002, Matt Hughes had cemented himself as the king at welterweight. He had already dethroned Carlos Newton, beat him in a rematch, and defended the belt another time against Hayato Sakurai. His run would next get tested against Gil Castillo.
Castillo came into UFC 40 with a small record of five wins and one loss. He certainly had notable performances, beating Chris Brennan and Nate Marquardt before, but it felt like a fight against Hughes was a big step up for him.
This fight was in the middle of the main card and had little attention drawn to it. I can’t get into the minds of the matchmakers and say why this was made, but it gave off the vibe of being a showcase bout for Hughes more than anything.
This bout started as an expectedly strong showing from Hughes, although the end result certainly received some backlash. Hughes got Castillo down with a takedown and hurt him with ground and pound. He kept control throughout the first round and started the fight strong. But then, suddenly, it was over. A small cut on Castillo’s head caused the fight to be stopped. Now, I err on the side of caution for stoppages. However, this didn’t seem like a reasonable end. The cut was small and didn’t seem to be bleeding much.
While the fight seemed to be all Hughes after one, part of me wishes we got to see more Castillo. He lost the fight and was probably on pace to lose the rest, but he also never got that chance to prove otherwise.
While Hughes was certainly a strong fighter at this time, this did not feel like a highlight of his title run. But it wasn’t a big deal either, really. In general, it wasn’t a really important headline coming out of this show, and that’s fine. Hughes will have many memorable moments to come.
Newton Bounces Back With Fast Win
Carlos Newton’s time on top of the welterweight division was short-lived, thanks to Matt Hughes. After losing his belt to Hughes in 2001 and then failing to earn it back the following year, the Canadian fighter had to get some swagger back. So, he was matched against Pete Spratt.
Spratt had the momentum of a first-round submission win over Zach Light just five months before. With a decent regional record and a strong debut, he was given a big test in Newton.
Newton, who was billed as a “Dragon Ball Jiu Jitsu Fighting Expert,” had a quick night. He took Spratt down early and tried for submissions while on top. He grabbed an arm and looked for a kimura, forcing his opponent to tap just moments later.
Newton will have a few more big fights coming up in his career, notably fights in 2003 against Anderson Silva and Renzo Gracie in Pride. But apart from some Pride fights and a UFC bout in 2004, we won’t see him too many more times going froward.
Finishes Galore
A massive strength of this card had to be the number of finishes that came out of it. Not a single fight went the distance through all eight matchups, providing an action-packed night for a larger-than-usual crowd. Of course, it’s important to have the disclaimer that a fight isn’t bad because it goes the distance. But, you might be able to see why the quicker finishes might reel in viewers who are not fully into the sport just yet.
The main card opened with a quick win for Robbie Lawler, who was still undefeated at that time. He ran through Tiki Ghosn (being billed just as “Tiki” for this fight). Lawler seemingly dropped Ghosn with a right hand early, although the punch looked to just graze his head. Nonetheless, with Ghosn down and on his back, he was put out by a nasty right hand. This was a really violent knockout and a big win that moved Lawler to seven wins and no losses. With a flawless record and a few UFC wins, it felt like Lawler was one to watch around this time.
The prelims had three different finishes, including a pair in the first round. Andrei Arlovski, a heavyweight we’re still seeing booked in UFC fights, faced Ian Freeman. Arlovski was coming off a pair of finish losses, getting stopped by Ricco Rodriguez and Pedro Rizzo, which honestly aren’t the worst losses to take. In just 85 seconds the strong punches from Arlovski stopped Freeman, giving him some momentum back and beginning what would be one of the best runs of his UFC career.
Vladimir Matyushenko also scored a first-round finish, putting away Travis Wuiff with punches. Despite having somewhat similar records, this played out like a mismatch with Wiuff way out of his depth. Wuiff had just experienced regional fights before this bout and, per the broadcast, was stepping in on short notice. That explains that.
An incredibly rare story in MMA history had its final chapter on the prelims. Undefeated Phillip Miller scored his 15th pro win, submitting Mark Weir in the second round with a rear naked choke. Miller retired undefeated in 2003 after earning his 16th win. It’s incredibly rare to see someone with UFC experience and that kind of a record call it quits without some sort of tragic detail. But that doesn’t seem to be the case for Miller.
Per this Sportskeeda piece, which is referencing a 2009 Sherdog article, Miller decided to get out when weighing the potential damage and pay. “You know, it’s a career that’s not supposed to be long,” he said. “You’re supposed to get in, you’re supposed to put your mark in, and then get out. The longer you stay, the more long-term damage you do. For each fighter, it’s his own decision. How much is he willing to give up for that paycheck?” Despite having a big potential and overcoming Weir, who had the hype of a 10-second win from UFC 38, this is the last time we’ll write about Miller.
News Catchup: Mir Opponent Troubles, ‘TUF’ Foreshadowing, Pride Rumor Mill
This week, we’re introducing the news catchup. We’re going to read through the news archives from the period of time leading up to the event that we cover that week. Here’s what was discussed around MMA circles before UFC 40:
Frank Mir was reportedly expected to fight on UFC 40, although he had a series of opponents pull out. He was expected to fight Wade Shipp, or Vernon White, or Vladimir Matyushenko. There was also the rumor that he would fight Mark Kerr, who had success in Pride FC but was beginning the decline of his career. He ended up with none of them.
There were rumors circulating that BJ Penn and Caol Uno would have their lightweight tournament title fight on UFC 40, although that would honestly be a quick turnaround for both of them. A story said that Penn had apparently expected this to be the plan. The fight landing on UFC 41 made much more sense.
Forbes Magazine had a profile out on The Fertitta brothers around 2002. You can read the piece here,
Josh Gross for Maxfighting mentioned a scoop in November 2002 that feels like some important foreshadowing: “According to sources who asked to remain nameless, several networks, including Disney’s ABC (said to be extremely interested) and Viacom’s CBS, have thrown their hats into the ring of contenders hoping to get a shot at what the UFC thinks will become their “Tough Enough”. FOX has also shown interest.”
Reports around this time started to suggest a return to Japan for the UFC. This ended up being a false alarm: Their return will happen around a decade from 2002.
ADCC reported that Pride 22 didn’t do well on TV. As we discussed last week, it was card full of mismatches with just about a couple fights that were worth catching. Not the most newsworthy show. This news piece made the case that Japanese stars, which the show was definitely low on, play a massive factor: “This shows how valuable strong Japanese names are to the show. Without the likes of Sakuraba, Fujita and a handful of others, the show suffers.”
On September 30th, Abu Dhabi-Fightworld wrote about a rumored fight between Josh Barnett and Minotauro Nogueira. This fight would happen twice, but not until four years later. They also wrote that “There is also talk about teaming Barnett, [Bob] Sapp and Bill Goldberg in the pro wrestling circuit.” Sapp and Barnett would later both compete in wrestling, facing off against each other a couple of times. Goldberg was in-between jobs at this time, as his WCW run had just come to an end. He would later land in the WWF in 2003.
It was announced that Pat Miletich would face Frank Trigg on a WFA card in Vegas, in what would be his first fight since the end of his UFC run. The fight ended up getting canned after Miletich suffered an injury. Miletich would return to MMA, but not until 2006.
Next Week: Pride 23: Championship Chaos 2
Our 2002 watch will wrap up with a pair of events back in Japan, beginning with Pride 23: Championship Chaos 2. This card, which full disclosure I haven’t seen yet, looks like an improvement in comparison to Pride 22.
We’ll see Wanderlei Silva face off against RINGS vet Hiromitsu Kanehara. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira will fight Semmy Schilt, who will be returning to MMA for the first time since losing to Fedor Emelianenko earlier in the year. Emelianenko will meet Heath Herring in a stellar piece of matchmaking, and Kazushi Sakuraba will headline the night. It will all take place inside the massive Tokyo Dome, providing an atmosphere that is hard to compare to others.
With our 2002 watch wrapping up soon, I hope to have a special article coming out before we kick off a new year. I’ll provide some details soon if the plan falls into place.
Knockdown News 