A Swisher, Iowa MMA Fighter Was Offered a UFC Contract Last Night [WATCH]

"We different in Iowa!"

That was one of the quotes from Eastern Iowa's own Preston 'One Shot' LaGrange after he won his fight during Tuesday's episode of Dana White's Contender Series on Paramount+. It was Preston's underdog win during the night's main event that ended up earning him a UFC contract!

Who is Preston LaGrange?

Preston LaGrange is a 27-year-old Iowa native living in Swisher that trains at Hard Drive Performance Center in Cedar Rapids. He comes from a wrestling background and is now a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brown belt, the head coach of the gym's youth BJJ program, and a black belt in kickboxing (through the Roufusport kickboxing program). As a teammate of Preston's, seeing him fight on TV last night was a surreal experience. You should've seen our gym's group chat after his win. We were losing our minds! It's hard to imagine anyone that trains harder than he does.

Just for fun, here's a few photos of Preston I've snapped over the past year, (including one from last year's Halloween party for the kids!):

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Fight Results

Anyone betting on Preston's fight last night was well aware that he was the 4-to-1 underdog. Not only did he have to move up a weight class, he also only had two-weeks notice to prepare. His opponent was 31-year-old Nell Ariano, a French fighter with a black belt in Judo and a 6-0 record.

Despite the odds, Preston ended the fight with a round one knockout after only 2-minutes and 24-seconds! If you haven't had a chance to watch is, here's a quick summary, courtesy of CBS Sports:

"In the main event, Preston LaGrange took out Nell Ariano with a brutal right hook and follow-up punches. Ariano had LaGrange on his back early in the opening round and was looking to advance into a submission before LaGrange scrambled back to his feet. From there, a brawl ensued as Ariano looked to stand toe-to-toe with LaGrange. As Ariano went for a hook, LaGrange countered and put Ariano's lights out."

After Preston's fight, the final one of the night, Dana White revealed which of the five champions would be rewarded with a UFC contract. Preston was one of the four chosen, with Dana White saying:

"...but, holy s***! 4-to-1 underdog... that's all I have to say! Get your a** over here! Congratulations!"

Another highlight of last night's episode of Dana White's Contender Series was seeing the town of Swisher rally behind him. The broadcast cut to a live feed at Black Squirrel Tap, where Preston's official hometown watch party was taking place, and the bar was packed with excited supporters! I know everyone in the community is so excited to see what Preston accomplishes next.

If you want to see Preston's entire fight, you can check out Week 9 of Dana White's Contender Series on Paramount+. It's the featured fight of the night, which starts around 1-hour and 32-minutes into the episode. Get the link and more information about the series HERE.

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