You know, ever since that whole Mike Tyson taking a bite out of Evander Holyfield fiasco, I’ve lost interest in boxing. It’s just not as interesting as it once was: I can’t even begin to fathom how exciting it would have been to take in the sights and sounds of a Muhammad Ali match or one featuring George Foreman before he started showing us how easy it was to grill at home.

Where there is a growing interest, however, is with Mixed Martial Arts. It started out with just the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), starring such incredible athletes as Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, and Royce Gracie, but it has since gone on to birth several other organizations and a whole new generation of mixed martial arts combatants. Combine this with the concept of fantasy sports (I’m participating in a hockey pool with some friends) and you’ve got yourself MMAPlayground.

On this site, not only can you participate in mixed martial arts via a fantasy game not unlike all those NHL, NBA, MLB, and NFL pools out there, but you can also chat with a huge community of MMA enthusiasts via their UFC and Pride forum. Looks like a very promising site for anyone interested in mixed martial arts (especially if you’re the betting type). In fact, they’re offering a $500 prize for the first season of play. Good stuff, check it out.

Note: The preceding post was sponsored by MMAPlayground (via PayPerPost) but all opinions expressed are wholly mine.