These past two weeks could possibly go down as the most crucial in the history of North American mixed martial arts. The purpose of this particular article is to lay down my feelings, with typical honesty, about The Ultimate Fighter's grand finale and how it led into the landmark event that was UFC 52.

Everybody and their brother has been talking about the unreal fistic blitzkrieg that was the war between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar, but let’s move on and instead focus our attention on what sort of initial impact the TUF finale had on MMA in The States.

For starters, the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday was completely sold out. While that was expected, considering the numbers that the Ultimate Fighting Championship has been pulling in lately, it's tough to dispute the fact the Spike TV's reality series based on our beloved sport had an impact.

Usually when I walk into the MGM Grand or the Mandalay Bay, or hell, even Caesar’s Palace, there is electricity among patrons and fans. One could hear debates as to which fighter Common Joe thinks will win while Fight Fan Frankie will argue his case as to why the other pug will prevail. Usually when strolling through the hallowed halls of those luxurious casinos, I can feel the excitement in the air when a UFC event is in town. But this Saturday was different — at least in terms of pre-UFC electricity.

I have covered dozens of huge boxing events in my still blossoming career and nothing — I mean nothing — compared to the crowds’ energy when Marco Antonio Barrera first fought Erik Morales or when Oscar De La Hoya took on Fernando Vargas. Walking through the mega resorts and mingling with the fans, I could reach out and clutch a piece of excitement in my fist. Smelling the anticipation and tasting the magnetism is something that has become more and more difficult to explain to anybody who has never experienced such feverish expectancy.

The UFC has never hosted an event that even remotely mirrored what Barrera-Morales and De La Hoya-Vargas fans brought to the table.

Except until this past Saturday.

I couldn't find a suitable parking spot in the enormous MGM Grand garage until I trekked onto the fifth level. Sure, I arrived a few minutes later than I usually would have when covering an event, but this was almost ridiculous. Making my journey through the "basement" area of the MGM, where several souvenir shops and eateries are located, was like trying to squeeze a hippo through a mouse hole. If you can visualize what I am trying to convey, here, I am not exactly a heavyset guy. My frame more resembles that of a Pixy Stick, so if I had a hard time squeezing through the mob, you can be assured that the joint was packed tighter than one of Dr. Dre's blunts.

So surprised was I that this place of entertainment was that jammed, I thought maybe something else was being held simultaneously alongside UFC 52. I couldn't remember if the MGM was hosting the semi-annual Bob Saget look-a-like contest or not, because that would surely explain the abundant amount of folks that were crammed into virtually every inch of the casino. But once I came to grips that the Danny Tanner clones were not out in full force, it was concluded that yes, this crowd was here some UFC action.

I haven't witnessed a fight crowd this colossal since De La Hoya was dropped by Bernard Hopkins. Never have I witnessed a UFC crowd this prodigious.

Never.

What I noticed about the crowd, however, was that the vast majority of the fans were chatting passionately about only three things: Chuck Liddell versus Randy Couture, the epic scrimmage between Griffin and Bonnar, and how badly Ken Shamrock's consciousness had been eviscerated, courtesy Rich Franklin. With that said, two of those three stem solely from the TUF finale.

Could Spike TV and Zuffa's reality show really have made that big of an impact on American television viewers?

Combine an expected higher-than-average number of pay-per-view buys, the fact that the Grand Garden Arena was completely sold out and the staggering amount of media requests Zuffa received, and the answer is obvious: yes.

According to both Amy Zopfi from BZA and Keith Evans from Zuffa, every single available media credential that could be issued was. On top of that, anywhere between 50 to a 100 additional requests had to be turned down due to excessive demands. That, according to Evans, is a record number in terms of media requests.

Could the TUF viewers, which were in the millions, have made any impact?

Of course.

I have received dozens of friendly emails since TUF ended and many have included some sort of shock as to how well TUF was displayed. Many of those who wrote me wanted to give Zuffa praise in one form or another, as they have been turned into UFC fans over night. Many have included such taglines as “New Fan For Life” or “Thanks to TUF I am now a UFC fan.”

That in itself is inspiring and it shows the impact has already begun across the nation. And if the cheers that came single time either Bonnar, Franklin, Griffin or Diego Sanchez appeared on the jumbo screens inside the raucous arena were an indication of how well TUF performed, I'd say that the reality show did its job.

The decibel level was deafening when any of them appeared overhead, making it clear that the series — that will see a second season in the late summer — was a success. How often do young MMA prospects receive a larger chorus of cheers and admiration than when such champions as Evan Tanner or Tito Ortiz are shown?

That says enough.

And speaking of Sanchez, he quite possibly could be the diamond in the rough when it comes to launching a very marketable fighter's career in MMA. For one, his style is as exciting as they come and Diego can dominate fights from any position. He also is a bit of a nut; what with his training in thunderstorms so he can absorb the energy to make him stronger. (I usually train in rainstorms as well, but that is usually just to nab a free shower.) His devotion to his family and to God also should welcome on-the-fence fans, and if that's not enough, the cat is of Mexican heritage. As any true fight fan knows, the fight game needs one or two formidable Hispanic warriors somewhere within the ranks.

Think about it. Sanchez is the quintessential Aztec warrior for MMA and if he is marketed as well as he should be to the roughly 30 percent or more of this country’s Hispanic population, he could be the UFC's version of Vargas or De La Hoya. The kid's not a bad looking dude and his seething desire to become the best fighter to ever grace the Octagon speaks leaps and bounds about what he is made of. When he says he wants to be known as the best ever, he means it. Sanchez isn't some jerk that squawks about wanting to be a legend and failing to do so. He truly wants it.

If the brass at Zuffa can market him mostly to the legions of Hispanics in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and especially California, we could witness something huge that is lurking on the horizon.

The Hispanic population in the States is crucial to the sport of boxing. MMA needs a figure to transcend the cultures. (Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is the other, but to African-Americans.) And the young and feisty Sanchez is probably more important than Tito Ortiz — that's if Zuffa realizes what they actually have signed to a multi-fight contract. In essence, Sanchez could very well be the inaugural Chico de MMA.

Flipping the coin from young superstar in the making to old veteran who needs to retire, Ken Shamrock has seen his last days as a dominant force in MMA. If the drubbing at the hands of Franklin is any indication of how far past his prime Shamrock is, I don't know what is.

What was up with Ken's initial shot that led to a disastrous collapse which caused "The World's Most Dangerous Man" to flop on the mat like a beached salmon? Some on the Internet forums have accused Shamrock of faking the fall and essentially taking a dive, but I disagree. He slipped when he darted inward, then saw the bombs headed his way and decided to drop out of harm's way. From there, we all know what happened. Franklin proceeded to pummel Shamrock en route to an all-to-easy TKO in the first round. This, folks, was no fix and Shamrock did not take a dive.

So, did that fight truly prove anything? Yes, it proved two things: First it proved that Franklin will probably be the next middleweight champion. (I'm sorry, Evan, but I think Franklin will take that strap from you come UFC 53 and I think he does it in similar fashion to how he performed down in UFC 42.) The other thing that it proved was that Shamrock doesn't belong in the Octagon (or ring) with today's young studs like the Franklins, the Ortizes, or whoever.

Shamrock has proven over time that he is a legend for all of his accomplishments, but time has passed him by. I believe it is time for Shammy to pack it in and focus on doing commentating alongside Rogan and Goldberg — something Ken is terrific at doing.

So, now that the praise from my fingertips has been bestowed upon those within the Zuffa headquarters for creating and delivering the perfect segue from TUF to UFC 52, prepare yourself for my gripes about UFC 52. Nah, just kidding. UFC 52 was superb from start to finish. My thoughts on only that virtually perfect event will follow in a few days. Until then, focus on sending me lots of Cadbury Eggs.