Tommy Lee and Kid Rock were among a crowd of celebrities at Saturday night's Ultimate Fighting Championship. Britney Spears is getting $300,000 just to show up at Pure Nightclub on New Year's Eve.

Las Vegas' James Bond-themed New Year's Eve couldn't be more fitting. The nation's hottest nightclub scene has become a battle royale, and the potential for celebrity drama rarely has been higher.

Publicity magnet Britney Spears is back, hoping to avoid the headlines created by her recent bizarre behavior. Even before arriving, however, reports of her $300,000 appearance fee at Pure Nightclub at Caesars Palace were annoying the competition.

"These guys are out of control," said a top hotel executive who asked for anonymity. "First Pure started paying celebrities and Tao followed. It's ridiculous."

A Pure exec countered, "That number is not even in the hemisphere," adding that he thinks "it's just jealous competition. Everybody wanted to get her. She's enormously popular."

Not to be upstaged, Paris Hilton, who always spends New Year's in Las Vegas, is in Australia, where her camp is claiming she's getting $1 million to host a new New Year's party for a new beer.

There's speculation that Hilton, who reportedly had a recent falling out with Spears, skipped Las Vegas because Brit had nabbed the biggest deal.

Meanwhile, look for sparks if newly split couple Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock cross paths. The two will be at competing clubs, and Anderson' ex-hubby Tommy Lee is in town as well. She's hosting Tao's New Year's Eve party. Kid Rock is across the street at Jet (The Mirage), and Lee is performing at the Hard Rock Hotel.

SIGHTINGS

On the celebrity list for Saturday's Ultimate Fighting Championship extravaganza at the MGM Grand: Lee and Rock, Wayne Newton, major leaguers Jason Giambi, Adam Dunn and Jeff Weaver, Laura Prepon and Chris Masterson, and members of Godsmack. ... Mario Lopez, at the Black Eyed Peas after-party at Tao (The Venetian). Pauly Shore was in for the third night in a row. ... Actor Jared Leto, dining in Social House with friends on Friday before heading to Pure to celebrate his 35th birthday, which was Tuesday. ... Prince, during his show at the Rio on Friday, performed a tribute to James Brown. ... Joe Esposito, one of Elvis Presley's top lieutenants in his Memphis Mafia, introducing Elvis stylist Trent Carlini at his opening Friday at the Sahara. That's saying something: Esposito is no fan of Elvis impersonators. ... French showbiz royalty Line Renaud, getting the royal treatment during a party held in her honor on Friday at the home of Siegfried and Annee Nounna. Performing for her was Grammy winner Larry Hart, French singing superstar Liane Foly, Ingvar, Ken and Josh Keating, Society of Seven founder Tony Ruivivar, Grant Griffin and Liberace tribute artist Wes Winters. Renaud and the Nounnas are in Los Angeles today for a farewell dinner at the legendary L' Orangerie, which is changing ownership after 31 years. ... Injured New York Giants player Amani Toomer, taking in the George Wallace (Flamingo Las Vegas) and Prince (Rio) shows on Friday. Toomer is Wallace's nephew. ... Mike Love of the Beach Boys, at Roy's on East Flamingo Road, wearing a white baseball cap with "Beach Boys" embossed in gold letters on the front. ... "Deal or No Deal" models, participating in a lingerie fashion show at Studio 54 (MGM Grand) on Friday.

THE PUNCH LINE

"Brand of champagne: Dom DeLuise." -- From David Letterman's Top Ten Signs You're at a Bad New Year's Eve Party

Norm Clarke can be reached at 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com.