Tonight’s card for Dana White’s Contender Series Season 10, Week 9 kicks off with a three-round Light Heavyweight bout between Preston LaGrange and Nell Ariano. The French prospect, Ariano, is 6-0 with five knockouts, while LaGrange also has six victories but one defeat and six finishes. This card begins at 7:00 p.m. ET on Paramount+ and takes place at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Check out my best bet below for Preston LaGrange vs. Nell Ariano at tonight’s edition of Dana White’s Contender Series.
Under 1.5 Rounds (-160)
All six of Ariano’s professional MMA fights have taken place in top-tier European promotion, Cage Warriors. Former UFC champions Conor McGregor, Michael Bisping, and Tom Aspinall all came from Cage Warriors. Ariano suffered three losses in his final five amateur fights. But since turning pro, he has dominated his competition.
Preston LaGrange suffered his first loss to Brandon Holmes at Fury FC 113 in January. Since then, he has picked up two straight submission wins in the last six months. LaGrange didn’t have much time to prepare for Ariano, as he took this fight on only two weeks’ notice.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Ariano is a -535 favorite, while LaGrange is a +400 underdog. Ariano is the largest favorite while LaGrange is the biggest underdog on tonight’s card. The over/under is set at 1.5 rounds, with the under at -160 and the over at +124.
Five of LaGrange’s seven fights have ended in the first round. Although Ariano hasn’t scored a first-round finish in his career, he’ll likely be more aggressive, as fighters often are on DWCS. With LaGrange’s fast pace, Ariano will likely have a higher striking volume to keep up. I’m taking the under of 1.5 rounds at -160. Even though LaGrange is a big underdog, he is talented and could cause problems for Ariano.
