The Triangle Choke: Marius "The Whitemare" Zaromskis Interview

Just days before fighting for the Strikeforce Welterweight title, Marius Zaromskis talks to Pro Fighting Fans

The Whitemare will make his U.S. debut on January 30th when he faces the dangerous Nick Diaz for the Strikeforce Welterweight Title. Zaromskis, the winner of DREAM 10, is known for his stunning knockouts via head kicks. The Lithuanian is 13-3 and is on a five fight winning streak but has yet to face the talent level of Diaz. Although Zaromskis is not known in the States to the casual MMA fan, he is extremely talented and with a win could burst onto the national MMA scene. His bout against the brash Nick Diaz could be one of the best fights of the year in which all MMA fans should observe. Zaromskis took some time to speak with Scott Dryden, Editor-in-Chief of MMA news leader ProFighting-fans.com below...

SD- What was life like growing up in Lithuania?

MZ- I was small so I used to get into a few fights which is why I started training in the martial arts. Otherwise it was a fun childhood but I used to get up to lots of mischief.

Zaromskis (right) is 13-3 in his MMA career and was the winner of DREAM 10 last year.

SD- Talk about your martial arts background and how/why you got started in MMA.

MZ- I started in Karate and then moved into kickboxing to compete although I never had too many matches as something would always seem to get in the way. I was always interested in MMA and found it exciting but never trained in it in my home country. I used to watch the Bushido shows from Japan which were a mixture of pro wrestling and shootfighting and wanted to try something like it. When I moved to London my friend took me to the London Shootfighters gym to try it out as he wanted to train also and from then I just kept going.

SD- Speak about the popularity of MMA in your home country.

MZ- It is getting much more popular but not as much as in the UK or America and Japan. We have some good shows such as the Bushido and Hero's events and one fighter became quite well known in MMA, Remigijus Morkevicius. I think K-1 is still more popular probably.

SD-You have competed in several countries, speak about the differences in the crowd.

MZ-So far my favorite country to compete in is Japan as the fans are so knowledgeable and respectful. Some of them are so obsessed with it too which is fun when you see how much they love the sport and fighters. But I very much enjoy fighting too in my two home countries; England and Lithuania. There are some great shows and the fans are very supportive. The domestic UK MMA scene is not as big as it was which is a shame but it is good the UFC is doing so well here though.

SD- Talk about your specific skills and your training at London Shootfighters.

MZ- I don’t really like to talk about myself; I think others can judge me but my training at London Shootfighters is always very good. A combination of doing lots of technical work and of course lots of hard sparring, drilling and fitness. The coaches are very good and have helped me a lot as have my training partners who really push me. We always make sure we are there for each other when one of us has a fight. With training I've always tried to pay lots of attention to what were my weaknesses like wrestling and submission but now I feel I'm quite well-rounded though I obviously have my preferences when I fight.

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SD- Do they teach you the hurricane kick (haha)?

MZ- It was something we talked about doing before my fight with Ikemoto.

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SD- What do you take away from your experience from competing in DREAM?

MZ- Winning DREAM was a dream come true. No one but me, my team and a few others thought I could win and it was great to come through and win in the style I want to be known for. I loved fighting in a tournament in Japan and of course it has led to more good fights.

SD-You are coming to the US this month to compete in Strikeforce.  Only the hardcore fans there will know you.  What can they expect from you?

MZ- That I will fight in an exciting manner and look to win all through the fight.

SD- You will battle Nick Diaz for the Strikeforce Welterweight Title.  Diaz is extremely talented and is known as a trash talker in and out of the cage.  What are your thoughts on Diaz the fighter and his verbal assault?

MZ- I think he is also an exciting fighter and I respect and appreciate his way of fighting. As for talking it makes no difference if he does or does not.

SD- One last thing, where did the creative "The Whitemare" nickname come from?

MZ- It was a joke from one of my coaches. I was a nightmare to fight against and my skin was very pale at the time. I don’t think it was ever meant to be a real nickname but people liked it.

Thanks Marius, we wish you the best on January 30th live on Showtime.

By Scott Dryden
ProFighting-fans.com Editor in Chief