Fiziev disowns Kyrgyz MMA roots, calls himself self-made ahead of UFC Baku

Rafael Fiziev has rejected the label of being a product of Kyrgyzstan's martial arts school, stating he considers himself self-made and citing negative treatment he has received from the country. Fiziev also argued that Valentina Shevchenko should not be considered a product of the Kyrgyz school either, attributing her development to coach Pavel Fedotov and her travels around the world. He praised fellow fighters Radjabali and Orolbai as genuine phenomena while discussing the broader rise of Kyrgyz fighters on the international scene.