Boxer Ricky Hatton of England poses by a workout mirror at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hatton will challenge champion, Floyd Mayweather Jr., of the U.S. for the WBC welterweight boxing title at the arena on Saturday. - Reuters

LAS VEGAS (Reuters)

Ricky Hatton has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from fans ahead of Saturday's title showdown with WBC welterweight champion, Floyd Mayweather.

"Absolutely fantastic," said Hatton of the welcome he received from some 1,000 fans packing the lobby of the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, in Las Vegas, when he arrived on Tuesday.

"When you think, there's probably only a quarter of them here at the minute, so to give the support like they did, I found it amazing."

Overcrowded

Up to 10,000 fans are expected to make the trip from England to Las Vegas, far in excess of the 4,000 seats allocated to Hatton supporters.

Tickets for the fight sold out within 30 minutes, although internet resale sites are offering ringside seats for almost $13,000.

Several British fans told Reuters that they had no tickets and no intention of paying such inflated prices.

They expected to attend one of the numerous closed-circuit showings along the Las Vegas Strip, but had travelled largely for the atmosphere.

That was evident when the throng cheered Hatton's arrival and, half an hour later, booed and jeered the appearance of American Mayweather.

"I saw a few American fans going, 'Who are ya? Who are ya?'" said Hatton, 43-0, describing the taunts directed at his opponent.

"Which is always nice to see, because obviously the reason why I came over to fight in the first place was to get a fan base over here."

Mayweather, 38-0, who was born in Michigan but makes his home in Las Vegas, insisted that he was the bigger draw.

"How many times has he sold out a fight in Vegas?" he asked, rhetorically, of Hatton. "Every fan that comes to the fight, they all come over to be a part of the Floyd Mayweather experience, because they're boxing fans."

However, even Mayweather had to concede the passion and loyalty of Hatton's supporters.

"I love U.K. fight fans," he said. "You guys are die-hard fans. Even when Ricky Hatton gets his (rear) beat, you're still going to love him. I wish we had fans like that."