Aleksi “The Giant” Toivonen made a great first impression in his ONE Championship debut at ONE: MASTERS OF DESTINY on 12 July 2019.
Known for his calm and cool demeanor, the Finn was methodical in his first-round win over veteran Japanese grappler Akihiro “Superjap” Fujisawa.
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Before the bout, Toivonen, a three-time IBJJF No-Gi European Champion, spent a few months training with the Evolve Fight Team in Singapore, and his bout against Fujisawa was the chance to reveal his talents to an international audience.
With plenty of experience competing in both his native Finland and the regional circuit, “The Giant” had little nerves before the match.
“I’ve traveled out of the country to fight [in the past]. In Finland, I used to travel to different cities to fight,” the 28-year-old said. “Also, when I’ve cornered my friends, I’ve seen fight week in big promotions and what happened during that time, so I was very mentally well-prepared.”
“I know how my body works and how my body reacts, so it’s all planned right beforehand.”
The Finn’s incredible grappling is evenly matched with his intense mental focus, and Toivonen’s composure and poise were already evident during his pre-match routine.
“Right before I walk out, I just get into that state of mind where I know I’ll perform [at my] best. I walk through and visualize the process a few times, and then I’m ready to go. I’m not nervous or anything. I feel relaxed,” he said.
“When I walked up to the stage with a flag and saw the crowd, the ring, and everything, I felt like this was where I belonged, like this was where I should have been all the time.
“And then it was like, ‘Okay, let’s get to business and get this over with.’”
Stepping inside the Circle – a familiar environment where he had honed his formidable skills – Toivonen knew instantly that he would thrive.
“It’s me, my opponent, and the referee. And the way I see it, they’re stuck in the cage with me, not the other way around,” he said.
After dropping “Superjap” with a leg kicks, “The Giant” used his grappling skills to finish his Japanese rival.
“I kicked him once, saw it hurt his left leg, and then I threw a fake jab, kicked again, and he buckled on the leg,” Toivonen said.
“He took a good shot at my leg. I defended it, took his back, and finished the fight with the rear-naked choke.”
Always his own harshest critic, Toivonen was satisfied, but the Evolve representative refused to get carried away with the victory.
“It felt great to win my debut, but overall, I was a little disappointed because I didn’t get to do everything I trained to do in that fight,” he said.
“That’s the thing that usually pops into my mind right after I finish. Even in the ring, that’s the thing that comes to my mind.”
Looking for every opportunity to improve himself, Toivonen expects to be back in the Circle sometime later this year.
“My mind is always on, ‘Finish the fight,’” he said. “Then it’s, ‘Great, let’s see what I did well, what I did wrong, and on to the next one!’”
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