What a difference a year makes. Last December, it was difficult to move around the Strip without bumping into a Brit. For Ricky Hatton's bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr, an estimated 30,000 fans - nearly twice the number the MGM Grand Garden Arena holds - made the pilgrimage across the Atlantic to be in Sin City. In the build-up to his bout against Paulie Malignaggi on Saturday, there is a noticeable lack of replica football shirts on the casino floor.

The Brits are here, but in far smaller numbers. The credit crunch, the collapse of the pound against the dollar and that Hatton boxed here three times last year are factors that have contributed to keeping fans away.

The Hatton camp talks of up to 5,000 fans arriving from the UK, although it is believed that only about 6,000 tickets have been sold. That number is likely to be boosted by numerous expatriates and holiday-makers whose visit just happened to coincide with the contest.

Hatton chose to come to Las Vegas over New York, which probably would have held more of an attraction to his fans. The bout is also sandwiched between a popular MMA event by the Ultimate Fighting Championship here and the Oscar De La Hoya-Manny Pacquiao bout on December 6, which sold out in an hour.

But it would be wrong to suggest that Hatton's golden touch has deserted him. Ray Hatton, Ricky's father and business manager, said that there are several countries interested in the boxer. “There are plenty of people interested in staging a Ricky Hatton fight and they don't care who the opposition is,” Ray said. “If this was just about the money, we wouldn't be here. Ricky is taking on a guy like Malignaggi because he wants to take on the best out there.”

Hatton's next bout could be back in the British Isles, possibly against the De La Hoya-Pacquiao winner. Wembley, the Emirates Stadium and Croke Park, Dublin, have been mentioned as possible venues.