Fiziev rejects label as product of Kyrgyz MMA system

Rafael Fiziev has pushed back against being described as a product of the Kyrgyz martial arts school, stating he considers himself self-made. Fiziev also argued that Valentina Shevchenko should not be credited to that system, noting her coach Pavel Fedotov drew from Korean taekwondo rather than any Kyrgyz tradition. He praised Kyrgyz fighters Rajabali and Oralbay as genuine phenomena while crediting their success to the country's athletic culture rather than a formal school.