LAS VEGAS — The Hawai'i contingent will be loud and proud during today's UFC 94 mixed martial arts card at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Thousands of Hawai'i residents made the trip to Las Vegas this week to cheer on Hilo's BJ Penn in the main event.

Penn will face Canada's Georges St-Pierre for the UFC welterweight world championship today.

"I actually had to find somebody to cover for me at work these last couple days," said Kahi Like of Waipahu. "And I'm going straight from the fight to the airport so I can make it to work (Sunday)."

Like and his family — parents, cousins, even grandparents — watched the official weigh-in yesterday at the MGM Grand. Around 5,000 attended the weigh-in, and at least half were Penn fans from Hawai'i.

Team Hawai'i, Team BJ Penn and other similar T-shirts were scattered throughout the crowd.

Like even brought a Hawaiian flag to wave in the stands.

"This is big," Like said. "I probably overpaid for my trip here. Just for the flight and (UFC) tickets was about $2,500. But it's worth it to me. I'm a big BJ Penn fan."

Russell Villanueva also was waving a Hawaiian flag during the weigh-ins, and he doesn't even live in Hawai'i anymore. He grew up in Waipahu, but moved to Las Vegas nine years ago.

"Hawaiian pride all the way," he said. "Not that many guys can make it big in the UFC like BJ, I think that's why you see so many Hawai'i fans here."

Friends Renee Vallesteros and Maribel Quemado said they paid around $1,000 each for an airline ticket, and then another $1,000 each for a fight ticket.

"We booked early because we wanted to make sure," Vallesteros said. "We knew a lot of people were coming."

Another pair of friends, Cary Padello and Kenny Matsunaga are making their second consecutive trip to Las Vegas to cheer for Penn.

They watched him defeat Sean Sherk last year, and were ready to book their flight immediately after that bout.

"Right after he won, he said GSP was next, so we looked at each other and said we gotta go for that one," Padello said.

They both used vacation days from work to attend the events.

Matsunaga said there are "way more" Hawai'i people in Las Vegas for this bout than there was for the Sherk bout.

"We're staying downtown, so of course there's plenty people from Hawai'i," Matsunaga said. "But every place you look, you see the BJ shirts. Old people, too, it's unreal."

The Hawai'i fans were not even fazed when it was announced during the weigh-in that Penn came in under weight at 168 pounds — two pounds below the limit of 170. St-Pierre weighed 170.

"GSP has the power, but BJ is faster, his ground game is better and his stand-up is faster," Like said. "GSP might have the strength and stamina, but I think BJ will out-skill him."

As Penn exited the arena yesterday, a horde of fans followed him through the casino chanting "BJ! BJ! BJ!"

"People love BJ," Like said. "We were coming no matter what, and we're not the only ones."

PENN TO PARTNER WITH UFC FOR NEW GYM

The UFC announced that it will open a gym in Hawai'i under a new partnership with Penn.

The exact location and opening date has yet to be determined.

St-Pierre will also have his name affiliated with a UFC gym in Montreal.