Rafael Fiziev: 'I am a product of myself, not Kyrgyz martial arts'

UFC lightweight Rafael Fiziev has rejected being labeled a product of the Kyrgyz combat sports school, insisting he is entirely self-made. Fiziev acknowledged the emergence of fighters such as Razhababli and Orolbai from Kyrgyzstan, describing Razhababli as a phenomenon with 100 percent finishes and comparing his elite status to that of Justin Gaethje, Islam Makhachev, Khabib, and Jon Jones. He also credited Valentina Shevchenko's success to coach Pavel Fedotov rather than the Kyrgyz system.