Jeff Monson, an American-born mixed martial artist, has been chosen through the regional parliament elections in Russia’s Bashkortostan republic. The Central Election Commission officially recognized the results of the recent vote over the weekend.
As part of the ruling United Russia party, Monson will serve alongside 87 other party members who were elected to the 110-seat state assembly, known as Kurultai, in Bashkortostan, as stated in the party’s list of elected representatives.
In 2018, President Vladimir Putin granted Monson Russian citizenship, and earlier this year, the athlete decided to give up his U.S. citizenship.
Last weekend, elections were held across multiple Russian regions, including the partially occupied Ukrainian areas that were captured by Russian forces during the full-scale invasion.
United Russia enjoyed a significant majority in the elections, despite reports of voting irregularities and a harsh crackdown on the opposition and civil society during wartime, which has never been seen before.
It appears that Monson’s connection to Bashkortostan dates back to 2021 when he opened a jiu-jitsu and grappling school in the regional capital, Ufa.
Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti quoted Monson as saying, “I feel at home here in Bashkortostan.”
In May, the Minnesota native declared, “Now I’m no longer American, I’m just Russian,” after giving up his U.S. citizenship.
After acquiring Russian citizenship in 2018, Monson was previously elected to a local position in Krasnogorsk, a small town northwest of Moscow.
In addition to Russian citizenship, Monson also holds passports from the Kremlin-backed separatist Luhansk People’s Republic and Georgia’s breakaway Republic of Abkhazia.
This summer, Monson announced his plan to run for Russia’s lower-house State Duma in 2026.
