Zaromskis Signs with Strikeforce

For those who haven’t heard, Dream welterweight champion Marius Zaromskis (13-3 MMA, #10 IWMMAR) has just signed with the Strikeforce brand. As the only other top ten welterweight on the brand, chances are very good that Zaromskis will take on former EliteXC welterweight champion Jake Shields (23-4-1 MMA, #4 IWMMAR).

Zaromskis has erupted onto the Japanese scene recently, and won the Dream welterweight title knocking out his final and semi-final opponents. In a recent non-title bout on Dream 12, Zaromskis knocked out his relatively unknown Korean opponent with a vicious head kick that is fast becoming a trademark less than 20 seconds into the fight.

Shields, who holds the distinction of being the highest ranked welterweight outside of the UFC, won his last fight in a catchweight bout against former EXC middleweight champion Robbie Lawler (16-5-0-1 MMA, 4-3 UFC, #8 IWMMAR), submitting Lawler with a guillotine choke in the first round.

The fight would definitely get a lot of hype among hardcore fans, and would truly be a great fight in terms of top welterweights outside of the UFC. Jake Shields is a world class grappler (and, arguably, the best grappler in the welterweight division, including the UFC’s many notable competitors) and Zaromskis’ striking is definitely impressive. Given the classic nature of the striker vs. grappler matchup and the impressive status of both fighters, it would make for a fantastic fight.

That said, it may be wise for Strikeforce to introduce Zaromskis to American fans by giving him the opportunity to put his striking skills on display against a lower level opponent. That may very well be what happens.