© Jane Warburton / Saddo Boxing

Boxing fans across the UK are excitedly awaiting the dream fight between Manchester Hero – Ricky ‘Hitman’ Hatton and King of Bling – Pretty Boy Floyd Mayweather to take place on Saturday, December 8 at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas .

Excitement heightened yesterday with the departure of the Hitman from his beloved Manchester as he set off for the warmer climate of Las Vegas , Nevada . Once settled in to his temporary home – the Hitman will continue training under the watchful eye of trainer Billy ‘the Preacher’ Graham and nutritionist Kerry Kayes.

Hatton fans are preparing to make the journey across the pond – some having to endure horrific 2-3 stop flights which will have them spending in excess of 17 hours in flight-time. Such is the loyalty of Hatton fans. “It’ll be worth it!” one fan remarked "I can’t wait to see the ‘Hitman’ defeat the ‘Pretty Boy’."

With only 3900 tickets for UK fans, the anticipation last week was unbearable as applicants for the ballot-style ticketing waited patiently to see if they had gotten fight-tickets or not. Kept under high-security conditions – Ray Hatton (father and manager to the Hitman) said last week “These must be the most expensive tickets in the world today”. Thousands more fans will be making the trip to watch the fight on huge screens outside the MGM Grand.

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