Adrenaline MMA officially has a fight poster, a fight card, and a web site. Now all they need is butts in the seats. I suppose we should take this as a good sign. They’ve already accomplished more than M-1 Global did, even if they don’t have Fedor to dress up in a suit and look bemused by Monte Cox’s antics.

What’s interesting about this event is how heavily Adrenaline is pushing local fighters, which is smart. While the rest of the MMA world battles over TV deals that may or may not be profitable, Adrenaline seems smart enough to know — as the UFC did back when the Fertittas first took over — that ticket sales can sustain you through the rough times, especially if you market the hell out of the local guys and build a regional fan base.

That explains why they’re pushing “Chicago Policeman” Mike Russow against Jeff Monson as their main event. It also explains why they were so quick to snatch up local fighters like Rory Markham, Bart Palaszewski, and Kerry Schall (just to name a few) for this card. Chicagoans might not cross the street to see Daiju Takase fight, but when he’s taking on Terry Martin it suddenly seems like a match with some drawing power.

Pretty savvy, Adrenaline. Perhaps instead of hemorrhaging cash like some other MMA startups, you will merely bleed slowly while waiting for the paramedics to come back from their coffee and whiskey break. Sounds like fun.