5 Reasons why UFC 40: Vendetta was a turning point for the promotion

#4) UFC pay-per-view buyrate being factored into the contract structure

From a financial standpoint, UFC 40 was significant to how some fighters’ contracts ended up being structured. Ken Shamrock, who spent two-and-a-half years in WWE, brought elements of their business model to the promotion.

This added more of an incentive to sell the fight and get the biggest buy-rate possible as it could lead to a lucrative payday. Shamrock has mentioned in multiple interviews that the promotion couldn’t afford to pay him his asking price to fight Ortiz.

"That was the first time that anybody had brought any kind of numbers into the UFC, where you were working to basically bet on yourself what the pay-per-view was going to bring in." - Ken Shamrock to THE HANNIBAL TV (2021)

Zuffa's financial situation led to White agreeing to pay Shamrock an additional sum should the event generate over 100,000 buys. This was a turning point as the promotion’s champions have since earned pay-per-view points when they headline an event.

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#3) Matt Hughes cemented his UFC welterweight championship reign

UFC 40 also saw then-welterweight champion Matt Hughes cement his legacy as one of the top fighters in the world. Hughes made his third successful title defense by defeating Gil Castillo by first-round TKO after a doctor’s stoppage. The win improved his MMA record to 33-3 and extended his winning streak to 11.

Hughes used his wrestling background to his strength as he’d take his opponents down and smoother them on the ground. His style was even more effective against submission specialists like Royce, Renzo Gracie and Riccardo Almeida.

The former welterweight champion was unquestionably one of the best fighters in the promotion. He eventually defended his title twice more before losing it to BJ Penn in 2004. Hughes regained it later that year after defeating Georges St-Pierre and solidified himself as one of the greatest welterweights of all-time.