Sunday, April 16, 2006 | 7:31 a.m.
Saturday's Ultimate Fighting Championship card at the Pond in Anaheim, Calif., was titled, "Reality Check."
Such a check might be in order here in Las Vegas, too, as the UFC's chief rival in the rough-and-tumble world of mixed martial arts fighting - the Pride Fighting Championships - is making its way to the United States.
Plans are in the works for the first Pride FC card to be held in October at the Thomas & Mack Center. The specific dates are to be determined, but targeted are Oct. 7 or Oct. 20.
The arrival of Pride only adds muscle to the Vegas-mixed martial arts affiliation. UFC, wildly popular at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, is owned by Station Casino executives Lorenzo Fertitta and Frank Fertitta III (who are also occupying their time by opening the $1 billion Red Rock Resort this week).
Both organizations have a presence on cable TV. UFC is showcased on Spike; Pride FC is a staple on Fox Sports Network, which airs replays of Pride fight cards as part of its "Sunday Night Fights" series. And as the UFC has gained a strong adrenaline-fueled following in the United States, Pride fight cards are enormously successful in Japan.
The "Pride Final Elimination 2003" card on November of that year drew a sellout crowd of 65,000 to the Tokyo Dome on a night when Pride star Quinton "Rampage" Jackson TKOd current UFC light heavyweight champ Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell (Liddell hasn't lost since). Also, in August 2002 more than 90,000 fans filled the Tokyo National Stadium for a Pride/K-1 co-production called "Shockwave/Dynamite." The next Pride event is May 5 at the Osaka Dome.
As the planned October event would be the first in the U.S., the Thomas & Mack is expecting Pride's top names to participate - its stars include Jackson, heavyweight champ Fedor Emelianenko of Russia, and welterweight titlist American "Dangerous" Dan Henderson.
Pride is promoted by Dream Stage Entertainment, which is a collection of Japanese TV magnates led by Nobuyuki Sakakiloara, who founded Pride in 1997. Dream Stage secured a license with the Nevada Gaming Commission in 2002 as its first step to holding events in the U.S.
What still needs to be sorted out is what modifications, if any, Pride bouts would require to be sanctioned by the commission - for example, Pride allows kicking and kneeing a downed opponent (including blows to the head), which the UFC does not permit.
Another obvious difference is that UFC bouts are held in a cage, while Pride holds its in a boxing-style ring. But the allure is the same, and one day Nobuyuki Sakakiloara might be a name you'll frequently see in bold.
NoteMart
Martin-ized music: The music for new Beatles album that will also serve as the soundscape for the new Cirque du Soleil production at the Mirage is being collected by former Beatles producer George Martin, according to published reports.
Martin, who produced all of the Beatles' albums from 1962 to 1969, is overseeing the music for the show and working with extra tracks from original Beatles LPs to build new versions of old songs. The music will be released as a companion album to the still-untitled Cirque show, which is now reported to be opening in the summer ...
Extreme update: The state's largest sports and music festival, "Extreme Thing 2006" will be held April 29 at Desert Breeze Park, it was announced Friday. Gates open at 11 a.m. for the festival, which features live music, amateur competitions for inline skating, skateboard and BMX. Former X-Games gold medalists Allan Cooke and TJ Lavin are scheduled to appear; for information go to www.extremething.com ...
Uh-oh: The New York Post reports that Mike Tyson has left a high-end Arizona rehabilitation facility after a five-day stay for cocaine abuse. Tyson was reportedly admitted into the $4,000-per-night Meadows clinic in Phoenix (a 30-day treatment center) after being inspired by a recent trip to the tomb of Chairman Mao Tse-Tung in China.
The London Daily Mirror also chimed in, saying Tyson sought treatment for drugs and "rage therapy." It is believed Tyson is currently checked into a Vegas hotel, so be on the lookout for that ...
Keibler, no elf: On Monday the MTV practical-joke show "Punk'd" will feature "Dancing with the Stars" alum Stacy Keibler. You might also recognize Keibler as the cover model for the April issue of VEGAS Magazine, which is owned by the Greenspun family, who also owns the Las Vegas Sun. Keibler is pranked by Ashton Kutcher in an episode airing at 10 p.m. ...
A code coming on: For those uninitiated, it is possible to break the dress code at Gilley's at the Frontier. How? By wearing a beanie or bandanna. That's what a sign at the door says, at least ...
Made me look: The Coen Brothers, behind such masterpieces as "Fargo" and "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" plan to shoot their latest film in Las Vegas ... New Mexico. The film by Joel and Ethan Coen is "No Country for Old Men." ...
Border patrol: Professionally, reader Daniel McCue is the program coordinator of the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies at UNLV. But he's also a keen plate-spotter, and he reports a 15-passneger van at Ellis Island Casino that reads IMIGRNT.
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