Rafael Fiziev rejects label as product of Kyrgyz MMA school

Rafael Fiziev has distanced himself from any association with the Kyrgyz martial arts system, stating he considers himself self-made and not a product of that country's combat sports culture. Fiziev acknowledged the rising generation of Kyrgyz fighters, singling out Rajabaili as a phenomenon with 100-percent finishes and praising fighters such as Islam Makhachev, Khabib, Jon Jones, and Justin Gaethje as uniquely gifted individuals set apart from the rest.