MOSCOW, January 9. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has granted Russian citizenship to US-born boxer Kevin Johnson, according to the relevant presidential decree, which was published on Tuesday on the official government portal for legal documents.

Johnson, 44, had filed an application to receive Russian citizenship in September 2023, and his representative later disclosed that the athlete decided to take a Russian patronymic, or middle name, in honor of Putin, thus officially becoming Kevin Vladimirovich Johnson in his Russian identity document.

The US-born pugilist told TASS last year that, if granted Russian citizenship, he wanted to live in Samara, a central Russian city on the Volga River. Russian boxing producer Vladimir Khryunov later told TASS that Johnson had applied for a mortgage to purchase a residential property in Samara.

Born in the state of New Jersey and known as the "Kingpin," Johnson boasts a career record of 36 wins (20 by KO), 22 defeats (three by KO) and two draws in his 60 professional boxing bouts.

In December 2009, he challenged Ukrainian boxer Vitali Klitschko for the World Boxing Council (WBC) belt, but eventually lost, while becoming only the second boxer to manage to go all 12 rounds in the ring against the famous Ukrainian fighter and current mayor of Kiev.

In October 2017, Johnson won the International Boxing Organization (IBO) championship belt by defeating Italy’s Francesco Pianeta, but failed to defend his title the following year against Croatia’s Petar Milas.