One of Estonia’s most successful mixed martial artists and a fan favorite, Kristjan Tõniste (opens in a new tab), will face experienced Norwegian fighter Joachim “Slenderman” Tollefsen (opens in a new tab) at the upcoming Evecon RAJU 18 event.
Kristjan Tõniste: Estonia’s First Brave FC Fighter, IMMAF Medalist, and RAJU's Star Attraction
Kristjan Tõniste (4–1) is among Estonia’s top MMA talents and made history as the first Estonian to compete in the prestigious Brave Combat Federation. To date, he has fought twice under the Brave banner and emerged victorious both times. Most recently, in June 2025, he secured a hard-fought win over local favorite David Forster (opens in a new tab) (4–3) at a Brave event in Ljubljana, once again proving himself on the international stage.
Watch on YouTubeAt the amateur level, Tõniste made history by winning Estonia’s first-ever adult World Championship medal – a bronze at the 2022/2023 IMMAF World Championships (opens in a new tab). With a strong background in judo, Tõniste has also competed at the World and European Judo Championships in 2018, finishing 9th in both.
Currently, Tõniste holds an exclusive contract with Evecon Raju, meaning all of his domestic appearances take place inside the cage of the Baltic region’s biggest MMA event. At the previous Raju event in Tartu, he earned a unanimous decision victory over French fighter Lucas Reyre (opens in a new tab) (2–2).
Watch on YouTubeNorwegian Finisher Tollefsen Brings Experience and Stopping Power to RAJU
Now stepping in as his next opponent is Joachim Tollefsen – a Norwegian combat sports veteran with a professional record of 7 wins, 7 losses, and 1 draw. Remarkably, all of his victories have come by stoppage – via knockout or submission.
Tollefsen began training in combat sports in 2009, initially focusing on Muay Thai before transitioning to MMA in 2011. His first coach in MMA was UFC fighter Jack “The Joker” Hermansson (opens in a new tab) (24-9-0), who boasts an impressive professional record. Among Tollefsen’s top amateur achievements are a bronze medal at the 2014 IMMAF World Championships and the Respect FC title in the -75 kg division (2013), where he fought four times in one night, winning three of those bouts by submission.
Watch on YouTube“Kristjan’s Biggest Test Yet” – Raju CEO on Dangerous Matchup with Tollefsen
“The Norwegian is Kristjan’s toughest opponent yet as a professional. A win over such an experienced, dangerous, and battle-tested fighter would be a major step forward in Kristjan’s international career. But the challenge is real – Tollefsen is a tall and seasoned opponent who’s used to facing high-level competition, often in their own backyard,” said Ott Tõnissaar, CEO of Evecon Raju.
The next event - Evecon RAJU 18 - will take place on 20 September at Tondiraba Ice Hall (opens in a new tab) in Tallinn.
Fight card: https://mmaraju.com/ Tickets: https://mmaraju.com/tickets/ Pay-per-view: https://mmaraju.com/watch-live/
