The money didn’t look like enough in Bout 7, when a sweaty Mr. Horcher, a 154-pounder from Shermans Dale, Pa., bested Mr. Liguori, of Toms River, N.J. But the thump of the fighters hitting the mat with each body slam echoed through the strobe-lit room and energized the crowd, made up mostly of men. Fighters often stayed on the mat for several minutes using wrestling moves, prompting the crowd to stand up to see who was choking whom. (Hint: the combatant on the bottom was often winning.)

A contingent of fans let out a chant of “Jersey strong!” when local fighters entered the ballroom under pulsating lights. But the 1,100 banquet chairs did not fill up until the final bouts, when fans took a break from the casino floor where cocktail waitresses served free drinks. During the bouts, the handful of women in the crowd mixed some cringes with their cheers.

Sitting at cageside, Kevin Kay, the president of Spike — who estimates that he has attended more than 400 fights — is talking over loud rock music to Mr. Rebney about getting Bellator ready for prime time. They agree, for one thing, that Bellator has to discover its own fighters. “We don’t want to be picking up rejects from the U.F.C., because there’s a reason they’re leaving,” Mr. Kay says later. “Either they weren’t a fan favorite or they weren’t making money. You have to build your own talent up.”

As they look around the converted ballroom, they discuss bigger locations that would look better on television. (The Atlantic City fights were broadcast only on MTV2 and on Spike.com as practice for the Spike premiere in January. Those fights took place at the 5,000-seat Bren Events Center in Irvine, Calif. and were watched by 938,000 viewers on Spike. Later, Mr. Kay said, “We’ve saved up to make sure we’re in the right kinds of venues. There are no ballrooms on Spike.”)

Outside, in the casino parking garage, a traveling circus of Bellator-branded 18-wheelers is packed with men who travel to each location and work as sound editors and producers, putting the final touches on the bouts and cutting highlights for online broadcasts and television replays. Viacom has provided additional television staff members, experts at making combat sports look good on TV.