Former mixed martial arts (MMA) champion Jeff Monson has announced his conversion to Islam in the Russian capital, Moscow. A video circulating on social media shows Monson, who previously held both Russian and American citizenship, declaring his new faith at an Islamic center.
Monson, 53 years old, was born in Saint Paul, the capital of Minnesota, USA. He is a world champion in jiu-jitsu and a former star in the mixed martial arts scene. He spent most of his professional life under the American flag but announced in March 2013 that he was ready to change his citizenship to Russian.
In 2018, Monson acquired a Russian passport, and that same year, he was elected to the regional parliament in Krasnogorsk, Moscow Oblast. He moved to Ufa in 2020 and opened a jiu-jitsu and wrestling school there, and in 2023, he became a deputy in the Parliament of the Republic of Bashkortostan representing the "United Russia" party.
