Rafael Fiziev has pushed back on being described as a product of the Kyrgyz martial arts school, stating he considers himself self-made and citing a difficult relationship with the country. He also argued that Valentina Shevchenko, who trained in Kyrgyzstan for only five or six years before moving on, should not be considered a product of that system either. Fiziev praised rising Kyrgyz fighters Razhabali and Orolbai as genuine phenomena, comparing their innate gifts to those of fighters like Islam Makhachev, Khabib, and Jon Jones.
Rafael Fiziev has spoken out against the narrative that frames him as a product of the Kyrgyz martial arts system, insisting he is entirely self-made and pointing to a complicated personal history with the country.
Fiziev also extended that argument to Valentina Shevchenko, the 38-year-old Women's Flyweight champion who holds a 26-4-1 professional record. Fiziev noted that Shevchenko trained in Kyrgyzstan for only five or six years before moving on to develop her career elsewhere, and argued that framing her as a product of the Kyrgyz school is similarly inaccurate. Now based out of Tiger Muay Thai, Shevchenko lands 3.14 significant strikes per minute and averages 2.62 takedowns per 15 minutes, reflecting a well-rounded game shaped across multiple training environments.
Rather than diminish Kyrgyz MMA entirely, Fiziev was careful to elevate two rising fighters from the country, Razhabali and Orolbai, calling them genuine phenomena. He compared their natural gifts to those of fighters he considers among the most innately talented in the sport — including Islam Makhachev and Jon Jones.
Makhachev, the 34-year-old Welterweight champion out of Eagles MMA, carries a 28-1-0 record and leads all champions in takedown volume at 3.2 per 15 minutes, while striking at 58 percent accuracy. Jones, 38 years old with a 28-1-0 record of his own, similarly strikes at 58 percent accuracy across a career that has defined the light heavyweight division.
Why it matters
- Fiziev is drawing a clear distinction between fighters who came through the Kyrgyz system and those who simply trained there briefly
- His praise for Razhabali and Orolbai signals that young Kyrgyz prospects may be gaining wider recognition inside the sport
- Comparing their gifts to Makhachev and Jones sets an exceptionally high bar and will draw attention to their development
