MOSCOW, October 22. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin inspires trust and support with his actions, but it takes some time to understand him, US-born Russian lawmaker and MMA star Jeff Monson told TASS on Tuesday.

"He is a very intelligent man. Honestly, when I first came to Russia about 13 years ago I was not in pro-Putin or against him. I did not know," Monson said in an interview with TASS.

"It took me several years to be here and see his action," he continued. "The best way to judge somebody is not listening to what they say, not listening to their speeches, not listening to what they are going to do, but just keep watching what they do."

"I watched him support the people of Donbass, I watched him how he opened arms to even enemies and the enemy I’m talking about here is the United States," Monson said. "And he [Putin] is not saying we are enemies <…> He is open to talks, he wants to talk, he wants to have it open like friendship and repair that damage that has been done by this war."

"I support him and he is a sportsman too. He is a black belt in judo <…> He loves Russia. I think there is nobody neither in the United States nor anywhere in the world who can say he does not love Russia or puts Russia first," Monson added.

The 72-year-old Russian president, known for his avid support of sports development in Russia, holds a black belt in judo and still regularly practices the martial art.

In 2012, the International Judo Federation granted Putin an eighth "dan," or grade, for his work in promoting the sport. In his youth Putin was a judo champion in his home city of Leningrad, now called St. Petersburg. In 2008, he starred in a judo video titled: "Let's Learn Judo With Vladimir Putin."

In his bid to bring the FIA Formula One automobile competition, also known as Royal Racing, to Russia, Putin put the pedal to the metal in an F1 bolide on a race track outside his hometown in 2010.

In what could be termed the "fastest president in the world," he reached a speed of 240 kph (150 mph). His lap around the race track added to a long list of daring stunts, including piloting fighter jets and strategic bombers as well as riding Harley Davidson motorcycles with Russia’s Night Wolves Motorcycle Club.

Jeff Monson

Jeffrey William Monson, 53, known as "The Snowman," hails from Minnesota, USA. His MMA career features a record of 60 wins, 26 losses, and two draws. He is also a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion. Monson announced in June that he had concluded his professional fighting career, though he hinted at the possibility of holding exhibition matches.

The US-born MMA fighter was granted Russian citizenship in May 2018 and was subsequently elected to the City Council in the Krasnogorsk District, Moscow Region, later that September. In September 2023, he was elected as a lawmaker in the State Council of Bashkortostan from the ruling United Russia party.

Monson is known for his affinity for Russia and its Soviet past. He has often entered the ring to the sounds of the Soviet national anthem. In 2016, he was awarded honorary citizenship by Abkhazia, and in 2017, he became a citizen of the Lugansk People’s Republic in the Donbass region.