| Tale of the Tape | Preston LaGrange |
Nell Ariano
|
|---|---|---|
| Record | 6-1 | 6-0 |
| Age | 27 | 31 |
| Height | 6’3″ | 6’4″ |
| Reach | ? | ? |
| Hometown | Swisher, Iowa, US | Paris, France |
| Combined Opp. Record | 23-13 | 16-4-1 |
| Gym | Hard Drive MMA | |
| Championships | Cages Aggression | N/A |
Shawn Bitter- Not gonna go too in-depth on this one because I spent too much time on the original fight. LaGrange is a bad replacement considering he took a bad KO loss earlier this year, and he’s a middleweight. On the feet, he throws combinations with his hands and legs but is stiff, lacks movement, and his defense is poor. Same with the wrestling/ground game. He’s a submission threat but defensively TDD lacks and likes to be on his back too much.
Ariano isn’t the most exciting fighter, but he’s very good at what he does. Despite being 6’4”, the Frenchman spends little time at range and does his best work in the clinch. His high-level judo stands out with inside and outside trips, foot sweeps, and the ability to chain attempts together when the first doesn’t work. He has a solid right hand and is athletic, although he can be clipped at range or coming forward. His control could improve, but Ariano brings a heavy pace and good gas tank that wears opponents down as the fight goes on.
I don’t see a path for LaGrange.
Pick: Ariano by Round 2 KO/TKO
Cedric Dumas- Ariano is the more complete and proven fighter here. The biggest difference is the Cage Warriors résumé. He has already beaten legitimate European opposition, has IMMAF experience from a 9-4 amateur career, and brings a massive frame into the matchup.
LaGrange taking this fight on short notice after two finishes is certainly interesting, but the Brandon Holmes knockout remains a concern. His clearest route is to get Ariano down and turn it into a grappling fight. The problem is that Ariano has no reason to give him easy opportunities to do that.
On the feet, I expect the Frenchman to be more comfortable managing the distance and controlling the pace. LaGrange’s wrestling gives him a path, but Ariano should be able to keep enough of the fight where he wants it.
The Iowa fighter may have moments, but over 15 minutes I expect Ariano’s experience and size to win out.
Pick: Ariano by Decision
Nicholas Holt- I did pick Brandon Holmes earlier this season, and that went horribly, so if Preston LaGrange got embarrassed against him at Fury FC 113, I think that’s enough reason to go the other way. His opponent, Nell Ariano, is easily the clear choice here, he owns an extensive IMMAF background and is coming off a hard nosed victory against Norbert Pietrzak. The skill gap should be too great in this one.
Pick: Ariano by Round 1 KO/TKO
Xavi Ryder– Unfortunately, we kick off week nine of Contender Series with a fight that needed a replacement. Nell Ariano was originally scheduled to fight the undefeated Ivan Gnizditskiy, but Preston LaGrange is taking his spot. LaGrange does his best work when he can grind his opponent against the cage to get a takedown where he can look for the finish. He is coming up from middleweight and taking on a giant human, so I think he will have a tough time implementing this plan. On the feet, Ariano uses his length well with long straight punches and calf kicks. He also does good work in the clinch, and this is going to cause LaGrange trouble. I think Ariano’s size is going to be an issue on the feet and in the clinch, so I have him beating up LaGrange en route to a second or third round finish.
Pick: Ariano by Round 2 KO/TKO
Drew Beaupre– I know it’s not easy finding suitable fighters to step in on short notice, but the UFC still probably could have done a bit better than bringing in a middleweight that was knocked out in his first fight of the year.
LaGrange does bring finishing ability on both the ground and feet to this matchup, but his striking defense is lacking and he’s facing a sizeable light heavyweight in Ariano. There’s also a pretty significant experience gap, as all of Ariano’s professional fights have come with Cage Warriors following a strong amateur run that saw him claim IMMAF gold in 2022.
There may be opportunities for LaGrange to catch Ariano as he closes the distance, but if the Frenchman is allowed to start working from the clinch, he has the option to either beat “One Shot” up in close range or bring things to the mat and push a pace that should eventually break LaGrange down.
Pick: Ariano by Round 3 KO/TKO
Cangrejo Ruiz- Even though I previously picked Gnizditskiy to win, I really like Ariano. I think he has a style that is difficult to beat and will have multiple fights in the light heavyweight division. I have watched Lagrange for a while and he seems a limited fighter, he really struggled with Brandon Holmes and in this fight this factor is going to be worse.
Pick: Ariano by Round 1 KO/TKO
Benjamin Keith- I actually have a bit of an affinity for Preston LaGrange. He isn’t particularly high level, but he is a dangerous fighter and not a bad fighter for a late replacement. He unfortunately runs into a man with thumping power and more fighting experience in Nell Ariano. Ariano is uncomfortable at range but has fantastic clinch work and good grappling. I think Ariano will have the size and strength to get LaGrange to the ground and keep him there. Something tells me this could be a stinker though.
Pick: Ariano by Decision
