Dissection by Dallas: Nick Diaz x Marius Zaromskis

Strikeforce throws newly signed DREAM welterweight champion Marius Zaromskis to the wolves early by locking him in the cage with superstar Nick Diaz for tomorrow's main event on the "Strikeforce: Miami" show.

On paper, this will be a monumental clash.  If you're not familiar with Zaromskis (13-3), check out his highlight reel by Genghis Con, which consists of a systematic storm of berserk and malicious knockout victories. 

Hailing from Lithuania, "The Whitemare" burst on to the MMA frontlines after relying on his trademark left high-kick to cleave through "Mach" Sakurai and Jason High en route to clinching the DREAM welterweight Gran Prix.  Even Nick Diaz speaks highly of Zaromskis' violent approach to submerging his foes, and Diaz isn't necessarily known for handing out compliments.

Both men are lefties, and ultra high-paced, aggressive fighters who look to overwhelm with a fervent volley of nonstop strikes.  Diaz is a long, awkward striker that uses a preying mantis-like style to snap off a ridiculous volume of punches from abnormal angles, and Zaromskis boasts a fully stocked arsenal of sharp kickboxing techniques that he unfurls in well-mixed and creative combinations.  Personality-wise, they are both "all business" in the cage, and seem like the type of people whom were born pissed-off with a predisposition to beat people up.

They differ in that Diaz will have a hefty height and reach advantage that makes his awkward style even more daunting to deal with, and the Stockton slugger mostly adheres to an incessant volley of straights, hooks, and uppercuts that are delivered with varying degrees of ferocity in abstract rhythms (such as "paw, pat, pat, thump, WHOMP", or "paw, thump, WHOMP, pat, thump, thump").  This uniquely presented barrage of endless fists is difficult to decipher and defend, much like trying to interpret an in-depth trigonometry formula while being punched in the face repeatedly.  As a fan, its a thing of beauty to witness.

Zaromskis is more polished and technical, and threatens with a a broader range of crisp strikes that cover the entire kickboxing spectrum: low kicks, high kicks, straight kicks, and flying knees, all of which are dynamically integrated with strong punches that vary from wide, looping hooks to laser-straight lefts that land with guided-missile accuracy.  Although Diaz surprised me in his middleweight performances against Shamrock and Smith, I feel Zaromskis has the edge in punching power.

In addition to Diaz' distance-swallowing reach advantage, I think his cast iron chin and silky smooth Jiu Jitsu skills will be the most significant differentiators.  This particular amalgam of traits leaves a plethora of avenues towards victory for Diaz, and few for Zaromskis.  Besides perfectly timing a nuclear fueled bomb that cuts or stuns Diaz, the only other conceivable angle for the Lithuanian is to stack the judges' score cards in his favor should the bout go to a decision--but enduring the interminable advances of Nick Diaz for five consecutive rounds is a grueling task to undertake.

"The Whitemare" excels when he's pressing forward at full throttle and getting off first, but may yield a slight vulnerability when his opponent reciprocates.  Zaromskis bears two losses by way of knockout to UK standout Che Mills, and he's only fought past the first round a handful of times throughout his career.  He'll match the turbulent and accelerated pace of Diaz adequately off the bat, but I don't know how long he'll be able to maintain it.  Both fighters have a tendency to leave themselves susceptible to counter-strikes with their go-for-broke style from close range, and with the sheer quantity of blows that will be launched, either competitor stands a chance of getting caught.

I don't think it will be a walk in the park, but Diaz is looking good in this one.  He shouldn't be inclined to force the ground game unless its absolutely necessary, and his spindly stand-up and supreme confidence should be enough to spoil Zaromskis' U.S. and Strikeforce debut.  My guess:  Diaz by TKO