Rafael Fiziev Rejects Label as Product of Kyrgyz MMA, Calls Himself Self-Made

Rafael Fiziev has pushed back against being described as a product of the Kyrgyz martial arts system, stating he considers himself entirely self-made. He also argued that Valentina Shevchenko, who trained in Kyrgyzstan for only five or six years before moving abroad, should not be considered a product of that school either. Fiziev praised fellow Kyrgyz fighters Rajabaili and Oralbay as genuine phenomena while crediting their success to natural physical gifts and culture rather than any organized national system.