SAMARA, July 20. /TASS/. Russia’s US-born mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Jeff Monson told TASS on Thursday about his plans to run in the State Duma (the lower house of Russia's parliament) elections in 2026.

"Political activity will begin in September and as early as 2026, I will run for the State Duma," he said.

Earlier, Monson won the United Russia party’s preliminary nomination to run for a seat in the legislative assembly of the central Russian region of Bashkortostan, formally known as the State Assembly - Kurultai of the Republic of Bashkortostan. The elections to Bashkortostan’s State Assembly are held according to a mixed system, with one half of the seats distributed in accordance with party lists and the other half following voting in single-mandate districts. This year, the elections are slated for September 10.

In May, the legendary MMA fighter renounced his American citizenship having officially surrendered his US passport to the US Consulate General in Istanbul, Turkey. He was granted Russian citizenship in 2018.