Rafael Fiziev rejects label as product of Kyrgyz MMA, praises Razhababli and Gaethje

Rafael Fiziev has stated he does not consider himself a product of the Kyrgyz martial arts system, saying he trained himself and crediting his own development rather than any national school. He also pushed back on the idea that Valentina Shevchenko belongs to that tradition, noting she trained in Kyrgyzstan for only a few years before moving on and that her coach drew from Korean taekwondo. Fiziev praised Razhababli as a global phenomenon and highlighted Justin Gaethje as a uniquely gifted fighter, singling out the way Gaethje dismantled Topuria despite not being a conventional boxer.