The next competition – Evecon Raju 17 – of the mixed martial arts league Raju, which recently got a new owner, will take place on 22 February in the A. Le Coq Sports Hall in Tartu. The new owner wants to push for a strong international level in the series within the next few years in terms of competitors, marketing, and broadcasting.
“Raju will come of age in the next year with the 18th event to be held in the autumn; so, we have respectively established our goal of growing big. As a whole, we want to expand onto the international market. This means that we are involving ever more foreign athletes, with broadcasting due to reach other European countries in addition to those within our proximity,” said Karl Kull, CEO of Evecon OÜ. “We have successfully accomplished several major projects in the energy sector that might have appeared impossible at first glance, so I believe that we will be able to show the world the true extent of Raju.”
According to Ott Tõnissaar, main organiser of the competition and CEO of the newly founded company Evecon Raju OÜ, the transaction was somewhat unique on the Estonian competitive sports landscape. “This brand, boasting a long history, has already gathered some renown, and the transaction is the result of hard work over the last 15 years – there are no others of this kind in Estonian competitive sports history,” Tõnissaar noted.
“The provided funding and, when it comes to entrepreneurship and management, the know-how of the Evecon team, will take Raju to an entirely new level. Athletes competing in Raju highly appreciate the excellent organisation and opportunities provided by the league. Three Raju competitors have continued their careers in the UFC, the highest league in the world, one of them immediately after a match held in Estonia,” Tõnissaar said.
The organisers have finalised the blueprints for 2025 and 2026 along with the four next events, with the next two competitions to be held on 22 February in Tartu and on 20 September in Tondiraba Ice Hall, Tallinn.
The historic first event of the league was held in February 2009 in the Sports Centre of the University of Tartu. A total of 261 matches have been held throughout 16 competitions, comprising 65 professional matches and 195 amateur matches. The most distinguished foreign fighters in the league have been Bartosz Fabinski from Poland, who continued in the UFC immediately after his match with Alik Tseiko, and Zarah Fairn from France and Pannie Kianzad from Sweden, whose careers continued in the UFC somewhat later.
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a fighting sport with the goal of determining the best fighter in a sporting environment. The fighter has to either knock out the opponent or force them into submission. MMA matches are held in specially prepared ‘cages’ surrounded with a net – in an octagonal arena – which ensures the safety of the fighters and provides the sporting duel an additional gladiatorial appeal.
