Rafael Fiziev Rejects Label as Product of Kyrgyz Martial Arts School

Rafael Fiziev has stated that he does not consider himself a product of the Kyrgyz martial arts system, describing himself as self-made. He also argued that Valentina Shevchenko, who trained in Kyrgyzstan for only five or six years before moving on, should not be classified as a product of that school either. Fiziev praised rising Kyrgyz fighters Rajabaali and Orolbai as genuine phenomena, crediting natural physical attributes and a culture of sport for the country's growing MMA talent pool.