Rafael Fiziev Rejects Label as Product of Kyrgyz MMA School, Praises Rajabali as a Phenomenon

Rafael Fiziev has firmly rejected being called a product of the Kyrgyz martial arts school, stating he considers himself self-made. He also distanced Valentina Shevchenko from that label, noting she trained in Kyrgyzstan for only five or six years before traveling the world and crediting her development to coach Pavel Fedotov. Fiziev praised fighters like Rajabali and Orolbay as genuine phenomena, comparing Rajabali's finishing ability to the rare gifts he sees in fighters like Islam Makhachev, Khabib, Jon Jones, and Justin Gaethje.