"RAJU - The Launchpad for Estonian MMA", a documentary exploring the history of mixed martial arts in Estonia, is now available to watch for free on YouTube. Created by Karl Ots, the film arrives just ahead of Evecon RAJU 20, the promotion's milestone 20th event, taking place on Saturday, 10 October at Tondiraba Ice Hall.
RAJU – Eesti MMA Hüppelava | Karl Otsa dokumentaal | Täispikk filmThe documentary about the promotion that has grown into the largest MMA event in the Baltic states premiered on 4 October at Artis cinema, where guests entered through the door of an MMA cage. Karl Ots's first documentary takes viewers behind the scenes of Raju, tracing its journey from the first event in the boxing gym at the University of Tartu sports centre in 2009 to the present day.
"The film tells the story of people who didn't wait for someone else to build them a stage, or a fighting cage. They built it themselves, put it up, found opponents and, when necessary, stepped inside to fight," said filmmaker Karl Ots.
"I wanted to show what lies behind the glamour of fight night: the sleepless nights, the choices made at the expense of family time, and more. I also wanted to explore how all of this can offer Estonian athletes a real career. This film exists thanks to everyone who has made Raju possible, and is intended to inspire those taking it forward," Ots added.
Synopsis
In Estonia at the turn of the millennium, people learned mixed martial arts from VHS tapes, in cramped training rooms and by trying techniques out on one another. Knowledge and training partners were scarce, and opportunities to compete at home were almost non-existent. So Ott Tõnissaar and his fellow athletes decided to create an event where they could step into the cage themselves.
A phone call from Andrei Baikov helped set Raju in motion. A small gym competition grew into a fight night with its own cage, lighting, music and loyal audience. With the support of Leho Laul, volunteers and friends, the team learned how to organise events, built their own cage and rebuilt it after a fire.
But the opportunity to compete that they had created for themselves began to push their own athletic pursuits aside. Ott tried to juggle fighting and organising, Leho stepped into the cage himself to fill a gap on the fight card, and working days stretched into sleepless nights. After fourteen Raju events, the promotion went on hiatus, finally giving Ott the chance to focus on his professional fighting career. Meanwhile, work continued in the gyms and Estonia's amateur MMA scene kept developing.
A new generation of fighters, Maikel Astur, Kristjan Tõniste and Raigo Kutsar, gave Raju a reason to return, while Lauri Mägi and Evecon coming on board paved the way for bigger fight nights. In the film, the athletes speak openly about financial struggles, sacrifices in family life and the need for a coach who can bring every part of their preparation together. The stage is there, but one question remains: can it become a springboard to the world stage?
Alongside archive footage, fights and fan clubs, the film features accounts from Lauri Mägi, Jorgen Matsi, Henri Hiiemäe, Priit Mihkelson and commentator Kuldar Nei.
The story continues at Raju's milestone 20th event this Saturday, 10 October, at Tondiraba Ice Hall in Tallinn.
Premiere photo gallery (opens in a new tab) (photos: Tanel Meos)
