Rafael Fiziev refuses to be called a product of Kyrgyz martial arts, praises Razhabali and Gaethje

Rafael Fiziev rejected the label of being a product of the Kyrgyz martial arts school, stating he is self-made and that Valentina Shevchenko should not be considered one either given her training history and coaching under Pavel Fedotov. Fiziev acknowledged the rising generation of Kyrgyz fighters, singling out Razhabali as a phenomenon with 100 percent finish rate and drawing comparisons to elite fighters such as Islam Makhachev, Khabib, and Jon Jones as athletes with a God-given gift. He also praised Justin Gaethje's unique striking style, noting that Topuria mocked it before being badly hurt by it.