On Saturday, April 11, the highly anticipated combat sports event Evecon Raju 19 took place at Tondiraba Ice Hall (opens in a new tab) in Tallinn, attracting over 3300 spectators. In the main event of the evening, Estonia’s number one fighter Maikel “The Sniper” Astur (opens in a new tab), who walked to the cage accompanied by the legendary Ivo Linna, had to accept the first loss of his professional career, losing to Romanian fighter Robert-Alexandru Constantin (opens in a new tab). However, Kristjan Tõniste (opens in a new tab) thrilled the home crowd by defeating the experienced Brazilian with a powerful submission already in the first round.
Tõnissaar: the role of the audience is crucial
“Professional MMA has gained tremendous popularity both globally and in Estonia, and has developed into an extremely spectacular sport. I would like to sincerely thank the more than 3300 spectators who came to the arena on Saturday to enjoy top-level sport, powerful entertainment, and genuine эмоtions. Although the overall result for Estonian fighters was unfortunately negative this time, it is in moments like these that the role of the audience is the most important. Supporting your favorites both in the joy of victory and in the bitterness of defeat is what truly drives athletes and the sport forward. From an organizational standpoint, we can consider the event a success and be proud of this powerful evening together,” said Evecon Raju head promoter Ott Tõnissaar.
Main event: Astur’s first loss
In the most anticipated main event of the night (-77.1 kg), 30-year-old Maikel Astur (opens in a new tab) faced Romanian powerhouse Robert-Alexandru Constantin (opens in a new tab). Although the Romanian, nicknamed “The Iceman,” is also known as a former Romanian boxing champion, it was his ground game that proved decisive – Constantin secured the victory over Astur with a submission in the second round. For Astur, this marked the first loss of his MMA professional career alongside five wins, while Constantin now holds a record of eight wins and one loss.
Tõniste shines and earns performance bonus
Estonian fans were given a highlight in the co-main event, where Kristjan Tõniste (opens in a new tab) defeated Brazilian Cristiano Cruz (opens in a new tab) with a first-round submission. Tõniste was also the only Estonian fighter to claim victory that night at Tondiraba Ice Hall (opens in a new tab). His outstanding performance earned him a €2000 performance bonus from the organizers. The same bonus was awarded to main event winner Constantin.
Kabanets delivers a highlight finish
Additionally, Ukrainian fighter Yevhenii Kabanets (opens in a new tab), who trains in Tartu, earned a €1000 bonus by delivering a spectacular performance, submitting Brazilian Lucas Tavares (opens in a new tab) in the third round with an Anaconda Choke.
Tough night for Estonian fighters
Unfortunately, the remaining Estonian professional fighters had to concede defeat. Norwegian Steffen Rossevant (opens in a new tab) defeated Allan Volosatõh (opens in a new tab) via submission in the second round. Polish fighter Oskar Herczyk (opens in a new tab) secured a third-round TKO victory over Raigo Kutsar (opens in a new tab). Dmitry Salamatin (opens in a new tab) also lost his MMA debut to Norwegian Vebjorn Dyreng (opens in a new tab), who won by first-round TKO.
International clash
There was also a bout between two international fighters, where Finland’s Riku Urholin (opens in a new tab) defeated Polish fighter Mateusz Rybak (opens in a new tab), familiar to Raju fans, with a second-round submission (Rear Naked Choke).
Amateur bouts: Estonia vs Finland
In addition to seven professional fights, three amateur bouts took place, featuring a heated Estonia vs Finland matchup in the Raju cage. In total, 20 fighters from seven different countries stepped into the cage – Estonia, Finland, Poland, Norway, Ukraine, Romania, and Brazil.
Looking ahead
The Evecon Raju fight league, which made a successful comeback in 2024 after a ten-year break and now organizes major events twice a year, has already announced the next date. The historic anniversary event Evecon Raju 20 will take place on October 10, 2026.
