MOSCOW, February 27. /TASS/. Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter and MP Jeff Monson is happy with his decision to move to Russia, as the country is filled with people with a warm "Russian spirit," he told TASS.

"I had a lot of experiences in America," Monson said. "Some of my family also stayed there. But Russia has something I couldn’t find there: kind, hospitable people, the Russian spirit."

"I am very happy that at some point, I made the decision to become a Russian," the athlete added.

Monson is 53 years old, he has 61 wins and 27 losses to his credit in MMA, with another two fights ending in a draw. Monson previously renounced his US citizenship, and became a Russian citizen in 2018. In September 2023, he was elected as an MP to the State Assembly of Bashkortostan from the United Russia party.