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MMA legend Jeff Monson to throw hat in ring as candidate for Russian regional legislature

April 27 is the deadline for submitting early-vote documents by candidates seeking to run for seats in regional legislatures in Russia’s 83 regions, known as "federal subjects"

MOSCOW, April 21. /TASS/. Legendary US-born-turned-Russian-citizen mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Jeff Monson, who has served as a city councilor in the Moscow suburb of Krasnogorsk, intends to continue leveraging his political authority to assist ordinary Russians and to help the country prosper and grow, he told TASS on Friday.

According to earlier reports, Monson has filed papers stating his intention 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, as a candidate of United Russia, the country’s ruling party.

"I want to become a deputy [of the Bashkir State Assembly]" so as to make use of all opportunities for providing help to all people, he told TASS, adding that he was ready to help and make a major contribution to the development of Russia.

April 27 is the deadline for submitting early-vote documents by candidates seeking to run for seats in regional legislatures in Russia’s 83 regions, known as "federal subjects."

Monson was granted Russian citizenship in May 2018 and in September of that year was elected to the Council of Deputies (city council) of the Krasnogorsk District, Moscow Region, an inner suburb of the neighboring City of Moscow.

In February of this year, he announced that he would formally renounce his American citizenship, a decision driven by his disagreement with the current policies of the United States government.

Jeffrey William Monson, 52, nicknamed "The Snowman," hails from the state of Minnesota, USA. As a mixed martial arts fighter, he boasts a record of 85 fights, chalking up 60 wins. He is also a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion. His last fight was in the Russian city of Belgorod on October 22, 2016, when Monson defeated Alex "Bizon" Kardo of Russia, using a chokehold.

Monson is known for his love of Russia and its Soviet past. On many occasions, he has appeared in the ring to the strains of the Soviet national anthem. In 2016, he was awarded the title of honorary citizen of Abkhazia; in 2017, he was granted a passport of the Lugansk People’s Republic in the Donbass region.

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