Former UFC fighter renounces U.S. citizenship, will only retain Russian passport 

In 2016, Jeff Monson, a former UFC competitor, was granted honorary citizenship of Abkhazia, a breakaway area that is legally part of Russia's smaller neighbor Georgia.

Monson was awarded Russian citizenship by President Vladimir Putin in 2018. Monson was elected to the Duma (local city parliament) of Krasnogorsk, a city near Moscow, on September 9, 2018. He received the mandate as a candidate on the list of the ruling party United Russia, which nominated him despite his lack of party membership. According to Russian legislation, the former UFC star was required to renounce his American citizenship in order to fulfill his mission.

Russian state media outlet Tassru has now reported that Jeff Monson has decided to renounce his US citizenship, claiming that he's found his comfort in Russia:

“I am in the process of renouncing [my] American citizenship. In the spring, I will only have a Russian passport. I do not agree with US policy, they interfere in the affairs of other countries, people suffer because of them. Yes, I have children in the USA, but I love Russia and the Russian people. I like everything here, and I only want my Russian passport to remain.”

Check out his Instagram post below:

In the midst of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Jeff Monson has continued to propagate Kremlin-backed claims about the crisis. The propaganda portrays the continuing Russo-Ukrainian conflict through the lens of a counterterrorism operation in an attempt to gain the support of the Russian people for the war effort.

The All-Russia People's Front (ARPF), a political organization created by Russian President Vladimir Putin, released several videos in April showing Monson repeating official Moscow talking lines. The demilitarization and de-Nazification of Ukraine and the prosecution of those responsible for countless atrocities against civilians have been cited as Russia's major objectives.

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Former UFC fighter Jeff Monson's political views

Jeff Monson, a former UFC fighter, is an anarcho-communist. Under the UFC banner, he has faced off against fighters like Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin.

He currently conducts a political and social commentary show called Monson TV on the Russian government-funded channel RT, which airs on television and social media. Monson applied for Russian citizenship in 2015, claiming that he feels strongly about his Russian heritage. President Vladimir Putin of Russia awarded him citizenship in 2018.

His political philosophy stems from the idea that he is an anarchist who seeks to eliminate all forms of social inequality and the institutions that uphold them. To show his support for the working class, Monson is also a member of the Industrial Workers of the World.