Fiziev Rejects Label as Product of Kyrgyz MMA, Credits Only Himself

Rafael Fiziev has pushed back against being called a product of Kyrgyz martial arts, stating he considers himself self-made. He also argued that Valentina Shevchenko should not be considered a product of the Kyrgyz school, noting she trained there only five or six years before moving on. Fiziev praised several fighters associated with Kyrgyzstan, singling out Razhabali as a phenomenon with 100 percent finishes, while crediting individual talent and natural physical attributes rather than any national system.