Marius Zaromskis (right) file photo: Sherdog.com
The violence meter nears critical mass in anticipation of Santos, the brawling Brazilian, and Zaromskis, the Lithuanian head kick artist, matching shins and fists for what should be a guaranteed burst of in-cage madness. Any pretense of strategy -- or defense for that matter -- can be safely discarded here, as both fighters are classic headhunters with no qualms about standing in the pocket until someone hits the canvas.
Zaromskis’ vastly superior footwork and speed separate the two and allows him to dart in and out of the pocket with combinations. That stands in contrast with Santos, who stands heavy on his feet and prefers to have his prey come to him, especially when he recognizes a glorified bum-rush will not get the job done. That puts him at an immediate disadvantage, as his powerful but telegraphed leg kicks and inaccurate jab make for an ineffective fighter at range.
If Zaromskis wants to win this fight, however, he will need to occasionally step inside and commit to exchanges, as he does not have the reach or temperament to get on his horse for three rounds. Inside is where this fight will be won or lost. Santos is the more physically imposing fighter and has a decent clinch game, while Zaromskis is adept at creating angles and generating power in tight spaces. Being the smaller fighter puts the onus on Zaromskis to avoid the clinch, where Santos’ size and offense have worn out many opponents.
“Cyborg” would not be the first man to try and lock down Zaromskis, and the Lithuanian’s experience with that tactic has made him slick at escaping tight spaces. A surprisingly explosive fighter in spite of his slight, compact frame, Zaromskis should be able to slip away from Santos whenever he runs out of space. That’s bad news for Cristane Santos’ partner in pain, as few can get more out of just a sliver of room than Zaromskis.
In that space, speed is what will make this fight rough on Santos, as he struggled early against Melvin Manhoef’s ability to put offense together in continuous bursts. Unlike Manhoef, Zaromskis has the conditioning to maintain his pace and has developed the discipline to pick his spots. The same cannot be said for Santos, who has a long history of unloading offense well past the point of exhaustion, with diminishing returns.
This sets up the usual narrative that has made Santos a fan favorite for nearly his entire career -- either he notches an early knockout or the pendulum swings in the other direction. While Santos’ power and animalistic aggression make for hellacious equalizers, nothing quite tips the scales like a well-timed shin to the jaw. A night primed for knockouts will gain its most spectacular one when Zaromskis lands his patented one-hitter quitter.