Marius Žaromskis

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This article is about the mixed martial artist. For the British hardcore band, see Whitemare.
Marius Žaromskis
Born (1980-07-30) July 30, 1980 (age 43)[1]
Šiauliai, Lithuania
Other namesRaging Demon, The Whitemare [1]
NationalityLithuanian
Height5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb)
DivisionWelterweight (170 lb)
Reach69 in (175 cm)
StanceSouthpaw
Fighting out ofSan Jose, California, United States
TeamMMA Bushido (2000–2001)
London Shootfighters (2001–2010)
American Kickboxing Academy (2010–present)
RankFirst dan black belt in Kyokushin Karate
Third Kyu Green Belt in Kickboxing
Blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Years active2000–2024
Mixed martial arts record
Total35
Wins23
By knockout17
By submission1
By decision5
Losses11
By knockout6
By decision5
No contests1
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Marius Žaromskis (born July 30, 1980) is a Lithuanian retired professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight and Welterweight divisions. A professional competitor for over 24 years, Zaromskis formerly competed for Strikeforce, Cage Rage, Bellator, DREAM, and also fought at Dynamite!! 2010. Žaromskis won the DREAM 2009 Welterweight Grand Prix and became their inaugural Welterweight Champion.

Mixed martial arts career[edit]

Early career[edit]

Žaromskis began martial arts at around the age of 15 or 16 years old with Kyokushin Karate and kickboxing, becoming a National Youth Champion of Lithuania at both styles. Later he also took up Muay Thai before finally transitioning into mixed martial arts. He made his professional mixed martial arts debut in 2000 at age of 19, at the Knight of the Ring 6 event. Zarosmkis won his first fight against Viktoras Kontrimas and lost his second fight against Ricardas Jancevicius at that event. Žaromskis returned after five years in Essex, England, at UKMMAC 13 against Jack Mason and won by technical knockout.[2]

Cage Rage[edit]

With a 3–1 MMA record, Žaromskis joined the Cage Rage organization in May 2006, with his first fight against Afnan Saheed. After a big combination of knees and punches from Žaromskis, the referee stopped the fight. After his successful Cage Rage debut, Žaromskis fought against Che Mills, and the fight was competitive until Mills caught Žaromskis with a knee that knocked him out. After that loss, Žaromskis returned against Dariusz Świerkosz at Cage Rage: Contenders 3 and won by submission in the first round. His next opponent was Damien Riccio, and Žaromskis knocked him down several times, but Riccio survived. In round three Žaromskis won by TKO due to a cut on Riccio's face. It is one of the most impressive fights in Cage Rage history. After his crushing victory over Riccio, Žaromskis fought Ross Mason. Žaromskis completely dominated Mason in the first two rounds and knocked him out in the third round with a flying knee. Zaromskis next opponent was Ross Pointon. The fight looked competitive in the first round, but in the second round Pointon received a large cut on his head, causing a referee stoppage, which declared Žaromskis the winner. After this series of wins, Žaromskis received a title shot at the Cage Rage British Welterweight Championship and avenge his only loss in Cage Rage fighting against Che Mills for a second time. Žaromskis dominated the first round by taking him down two times and holding top positions for most of the round, but developed a cut on his right eye during the first round and doctors stopped the fight declaring Mills the winner. Zaromskis fought for the company a total of seven times until May 2008 when it was bought by EliteXC who soon fell into bankruptcy, meaning Cage Rage ceased operations. Zaromskis had compiled a Cage Rage record of 5–2.

Return to Lithuania[edit]

After leaving Cage Rage, Žaromskis returned to fight in Lithuania. He participated in Bushido Lithuania: Hero's 2008 event against Jedrzej Kubski. Kubski desperately tried to take the fight to the ground, and Žaromskis got on top by using his takedown defense. After landing multiple unanswered punches from the top, the referee stopped the fight. With an MMA record of 9–3, all wins finished by knockout or submission, Žaromskis was the most promising Lithuanian fighter.

DREAM[edit]

In April 2009, Žaromskis was invited to participate in the DREAM Welterweight Grand Prix 2009 Tournament. At DREAM 8 Zaromskis faced Seichi Ikemoto in the quarterfinals. Žaromskis out-struck him all three rounds, earning a unanimous decision victory. In the semifinals Žaromskis faced Hayato "Mach" Sakurai, who had just come off a KO victory over WAMMA Lightweight Champion Shinya Aoki in the previous round of the tournament. A heavy underdog in the fight, Žaromskis looked comfortable exchanging with the seasoned veteran. The two exchanged relatively evenly on the feet, both showing good combinations with their straight jabs and hooks, whilst Sakurai favored leg kicks and Žaromskis chose to use high kicks while working the body with his feet. Sakurai landed one takedown and assumed the half guard position in the middle of the ring, but Žaromskis was swiftly able to rise to his feet. The bout was then temporarily halted for several minutes to clean up a cut on Sakurai's face. When the bout resumed Žaromskis came out with a renewed intensity and after a brief exchange he landed a left high kick that dropped his opponent. Žaromskis followed with punches on the ground, prompting the referee to stop the fight for the TKO victory at 4:03 of the first round. Now in the final, Žaromskis faced Jason High who had defeated Andre Galvao previously that night in the other semifinal bout. Žaromskis again won in spectacular fashion, knocking out his opponent with a head kick at 2:22 of the first round crowning him the 2009 Welterweight Grand Prix Champion and the inaugural DREAM Welterweight Champion.

At DREAM 12, the event which marked the first time DREAM used a hexagonal cage for instead of a ring, Žaromskis met Korean Myeon Ho Bae in a non-title fight. Coming out from the opening bell aggressively, Žaromskis was caught by a right hand which backed him up for a few seconds until connecting a flush left high kick to the head of his opponent at 0:19 of the first round to knockout his opponent. It marked his third consecutive win via KO in just the first round.

Žaromskis successfully defended his DREAM Welterweight Championship against Kazushi Sakuraba at Dynamite!! 2010 on December 31, 2010.[3] The fight was stopped early into the first round by doctors when it appears Žaromskis' strikes had partially torn Sakuraba's ear from his head.

Žaromskis was set to fight at DREAM 17 in a rematch with Hayato Sakurai, in a non-title fight, but an unspecified leg injury forced Sakurai out of the bout and he was replaced by Eiji Ishikawa. Ishikawa had won his last seven of nine fights before facing Žaromskis. Ishikawa was out-struck for almost all three rounds and was almost finished several times, but he was able to survive, eventually losing a unanimous decision.

Strikeforce[edit]

It was announced on October 31 that Žaromskis had signed a multi fight contract with North American promotion Strikeforce and would still be under contract for DREAM as well due to the organizations' alliance.[4]

Žaromskis had five wins in a row, including the previous three via head kick KO. For this, he earned a fight against Nick Diaz for the inaugural Strikeforce Welterweight Championship at Strikeforce: Miami on January 30, 2010.[5] After rocking Diaz earlier, Žaromskis ran into a straight right hand and lost via TKO at 4:38 of round one.

Žaromskis next fought Evangelista Santos at Strikeforce: Los Angeles. From the start of the fight, it was obvious that Cyborg had a size advantage over Žaromskis. Žaromskis lost by TKO at 2:38 in the first round.

After this, Žaromskis faced Waachiim Spiritwolf at Strikeforce Challengers: Wilcox vs. Ribeiro. Žaromskis started aggressive by attempting a flying knee, but as a result he accidentally poked Spiritwolf's eye and he was unable to continue resulting in a NC.

Bellator MMA[edit]

On February 24, 2012, it was announced that Žaromskis had signed a multi-fight deal with Bellator.[6] In his first fight for the promotion, Žaromskis faced Waachiim Spiritwolf in a rematch. Spiritwolf weighed in a-pound-and-a-half overweight and was therefore forced to forfeit part of his purse. Once again, the contest between the two ended in controversy as the doctor stopped the fight between rounds two and three due to a cut suffered by Spiritwolf, giving Žaromskis the TKO win.

Due to the controversial nature of this stoppage, Žaromskis and Waachiim Spiritwolf had a rematch – the third fight between the two – at Bellator 72. He won the fight via split decision.

Zaromskis then faced Canadian contender Nordine Taleb at Bellator 74 in the first round of the new Welterweight Tournament on September 28, 2012, in Atlantic City, New Jersey.[7] He won the fight via unanimous decision. In the semifinals, Zaromskis was TKO'd in the first round of his bout against Andrey Koreshkov.

Zaromskis entered the Bellator Season Eight Welterweight Tournament opening round against Brent Weedman. He lost via unanimous decision.

After over a year away from the sport, Zaromskis returned to Bellator and faced Vaughn Anderson at Bellator 119 on May 9, 2014.[8] He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Žaromskis was expected to face Karo Parisyan on October 3, 2014, at Bellator 127.[9] However, Žaromskis was pulled from the bout to fight at another date, as a result, Parisyan faced Fernando Gonzalez.[10]

Žaromskis faced Fernando Gonzalez at Bellator 132 on January 16, 2015.[11] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.

Post-Bellator career[edit]

After the seven-fight stint in Bellator and a four-year hiatus from professional MMA competition, Žaromskis faced Aliaksandr Danilchenko at Bushido FC: Bushido Vilnius 2019 on May 3, 2019. He won the fight via first-round knockout.

Žaromskis then signed a contract with KSW and was scheduled to make his promotional debut against Roberto Soldić at KSW 53 on March 21, 2020. However, the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the bout was scrapped.[12]

Žaromskis faced Andrzej Grzebyk at KSW 56 on November 14, 2020.[12] Marius won the fight after Andrzej broke his leg on a checked kick, rendering him unable to continue.[13]

Žaromskis rematched Andrzej Grzebyk on July 17, 2021, at KSW 62: Kołecki vs. Szostak. He lost the bout via TKO in the first round.[14]

Žaromskis returned three years later to face Maciej Jewtuszko in a retirement bout for both men on March 16, 2024 at KSW 92: Wikłacz vs. Jojua, losing the bout via unanimous decision.[15]

Championships and Accomplishments[edit]

Mixed martial arts record[edit]

Professional record breakdown
35 matches 23 wins 11 losses
By knockout 17 6
By submission 1 0
By decision 5 5
No contests 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 23–11 (1) Maciej Jewtuszko Decision (unanimous) KSW 92: Wikłacz vs. Jojua March 16, 2024 3 5:00 Gorzów Wielkopolski, Poland Retirement Fight
Loss 23–10 (1) Andrzej Grzebyk KO (punches) KSW 62: Kołecki vs. Szostak July 17, 2021 1 2:11 Warszawa, Poland
Win 23–9 (1) Andrzej Grzebyk TKO (leg injury) KSW 56: Materla vs. Soldić November 14, 2020 1 4:58 Łódź, Poland
Win 22–9 (1) Aliaksandr Danilchenko TKO (punches) MMA Bushido 77 – Fighting Championship in Vilnius May 3, 2019 1 2:05 Vilnius, Lithuania
Loss 21–9 (1) Fernando Gonzalez Decision (unanimous) Bellator 132 January 16, 2015 3 5:00 Temecula, California
Win 21–8 (1) Vaughn Anderson Decision (unanimous) Bellator 119 May 9, 2014 3 5:00 Rama, Ontario Canada
Loss 20–8 (1) Brent Weedman Decision (unanimous) Bellator 86 January 24, 2013 3 5:00 Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States Bellator Season Eight Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinal.
Loss 20–7 (1) Andrey Koreshkov KO (punches) Bellator 78 October 26, 2012 1 2:14 Dayton, Ohio, United States Bellator Season Seven Welterweight Tournament Semifinal.
Win 20–6 (1) Nordine Taleb Decision (unanimous) Bellator 74 September 28, 2012 3 5:00 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States Bellator Season Seven Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinal.
Win 19–6 (1) Waachiim Spiritwolf Decision (split) Bellator 72 July 20, 2012 3 5:00 Tampa, Florida, United States
Win 18–6 (1) Waachiim Spiritwolf TKO (doctor stoppage) Bellator 68 May 11, 2012 2 5:00 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States Catchweight (172 lb) bout.
Win 17–6 (1) Bruno Carvalho KO (somersault kick, elbows and punches) Rumble of the Kings November 26, 2011 1 4:59 Stockholm, Sweden
Win 16–6 (1) Eiji Ishikawa Decision (unanimous) DREAM: Japan GP Final July 16, 2011 2 5:00 Tokyo, Japan Catchweight (175 lb) bout.
Loss 15–6 (1) Jordan Mein Decision (unanimous) Score Fighting Series: Mein vs. Zaromskis June 10, 2011 3 5:00 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Win 15–5 (1) Kazushi Sakuraba TKO (doctor stoppage) Dynamite!! 2010 December 31, 2010 1 2:16 Saitama, Saitama, Japan Defended the DREAM Welterweight Championship.
NC 14–5 (1) Waachiim Spiritwolf No contest Strikeforce Challengers: Wilcox vs. Ribeiro November 19, 2010 1 0:06 Jackson, Mississippi, United States Accidental eye poke by Žaromskis rendered Spiritwolf unable to continue.
Loss 14–5 Evangelista Santos TKO (punches) Strikeforce: Los Angeles June 16, 2010 1 2:38 Los Angeles, California, United States
Loss 14–4 Nick Diaz TKO (punches) Strikeforce: Miami January 30, 2010 1 4:38 Sunrise, Florida, United States For the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship.
Win 14–3 Ho Bae Myeong KO (head kick) DREAM 12 October 25, 2009 1 0:19 Osaka, Japan Non-title bout.
Win 13–3 Jason High KO (head kick) DREAM 10 July 20, 2009 1 2:22 Saitama, Japan 2009 DREAM Welterweight Grand Prix Final; won the inaugural DREAM Welterweight Championship.
Win 12–3 Hayato Sakurai KO (head kick and punches) DREAM 10 July 20, 2009 1 4:03 Saitama, Japan 2009 DREAM Welterweight Grand Prix Semifinal.
Win 11–3 Seichi Ikemoto Decision (unanimous) DREAM 8 April 5, 2009 2 5:00 Nagoya, Japan 2009 DREAM Welterweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal.
Win 10–3 Jedrzej Kubski KO (punches) Bushido Lithuania: Hero's 2008 November 8, 2008 1 0:50 Vilnius, Lithuania
Loss 9–3 Che Mills TKO (doctor stoppage) Cage Rage 26 May 10, 2008 1 5:00 London, England For the Cage Rage British Welterweight Championship.
Win 9–2 Ross Pointon TKO (doctor stoppage) Cage Rage 24 December 1, 2007 2 3:39 London, England
Win 8–2 Ross Mason KO (flying knee) Cage Rage 22 July 14, 2007 3 2:03 England
Win 7–2 Damien Riccio TKO (Head kick & punches) Cage Rage 20 February 10, 2007 3 4:30 London, England
Win 6–2 Dariusz Świerkosz Submission (triangle choke) Cage Rage Contenders 3 November 12, 2006 2 N/A London, England
Loss 5–2 Che Mills KO (knee) Cage Rage Contenders 2 August 20, 2006 1 4:49 South London, England
Win 5–1 Afnan Saheed TKO (punches) Cage Rage Contenders May 28, 2006 1 1:21 London, England
Win 4–1 Scott Pickering KO (head kick) Cage Warriors 20:Enter the Wolfslair March 5, 2006 2 1:35 London, England
Win 3–1 Kazys Grigaliunas KO (punches) ZT: Fight Night February 19, 2006 1 1:57 London, England
Win 2–1 Jack Mason KO (Punches) UKMMAC 13: Warriors Return November 27, 2005 1 3:18 Essex, England
Loss 1–1 Ricardas Jancevicius Decision (unanimous) Knight of the Ring 6 February 4, 2000 3 5:00 Šiauliai, Lithuania
Win 1–0 Viktoras Kontrimas KO (Head kick) Knight of the Ring 6 February 4, 2000 2 0:23 Šiauliai, Lithuania

Submission grappling record[edit]

KO PUNCHES
Result Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Notes
Draw Poland Marcin Held Draw Quintet April 11, 2018 1 10:00

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Sherdog.com. "Fight Finder – Marius "The Whitemare" Žaromskis's Mixed Martial Arts Statistics". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2009-07-20.
  2. ^ "UKMMAC 13 – Warriors Return". ufcwar.com. June 5, 2012. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013.
  3. ^ Steven Marrocco. "Marius Zaromskis to face Kazushi Sakuraba at "Dynamite!! 2010"". MMAjunkie. Archived from the original on 2010-12-08.
  4. ^ Brian Knapp. "Strikeforce Signs Zaromskis". Sherdog.
  5. ^ "DIAZ VS. ZAROMSKIS FOR STRIKEFORCE 170-LBS BELT". mmamania.com. Archived from the original on 2009-12-27. Retrieved 2009-12-19.
  6. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-02-27. Retrieved 2012-02-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. ^ "topmmanews.com". ww1.topmmanews.com.
  8. ^ "Bellator 119 Full Card Finalized At Casino Rama On Friday, May 9th". TopMMANews.com. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  9. ^ "Karo Parisyan vs. Marius Zaromskis booked for Bellator 127 in California". mmajunkie.com. August 21, 2014.
  10. ^ "Bellator 127 lineup again complete as Gonzalez replaces Zaromskis, Duran meets Bunch". mmajunkie.com. September 24, 2014.
  11. ^ "Alexander-Zwicker Rematch, Zaromskis-Gonzalez Round Out Bellator 132 Main Card". Sherdog.com. December 9, 2014.
  12. ^ a b Damon Martin (October 30, 2020). "Marius Zaromskis set for debut at KSW 56 against Andrzej Grzebyk on Nov. 14". mmafighting.com.
  13. ^ SHAKIEL MAHJOURI (November 14, 2020). "KSW 56 Results And Video Highlights: Fighter Breaks His Leg!". fightful.com.
  14. ^ Sherdog.com. "KSW 62: Szymon Kolecki Obliterates Akop Szostak, Andrzej Grzebyk Gets Revenge". Sherdog. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
  15. ^ Madej, Jakub. "Maciej Jewtuszko zdominował Mariusa Zaromskisa w POŻEGNALNEJ walce! Świetna forma "Irokeza"!". MMARocks.pl.
  16. ^ "MMA Awards – Fight Matrix".

External links[edit]

New championship 1st Dream Welterweight Champion
July 20, 2009–present 		Current holder
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