Long-time heavyweight fighter and grappler Jeff Monson is known for his anarchist views, affiliations, activism, and even tattoos.
“I am an anarchist, someone who would like to do away with all class hierarchy in society and the institutions that promote this inequality.
Jeff Monson says he feels Russian in spirit and has long desired Russian citizenship. It was recently granted.
In a television interview with Russia’s R-Sport, Monson confirmed he had received Russian citizenship, and would soon receive his new Russian passport, and would be fighting under the Russian flag on December 25.
The 25th is of course Christmas Day in the West, but Russian Christmas is January 7.
“Yes, it’s been approved,” he said, as translated by Russia’s English language Sputnik News. “Now I have to wait for the passport, they are making it, so it’ll be a couple of days till I get it in my hands, but it’s like everybody has given their signatures.”
“I’m relieved that it finally happened cause it’s been a long time, I’m very excited. I feel a lot of pressure to fight for Russia, it’s a big responsibility.”
Monson will be fighting Cameroon’s Donald Njatah, outside Moscow.
Below, one of Monson latest fights.
Jeffrey William Monson (born January 18, 1971) is an American mixed martial artist from Olympia, Washington. He is a two-time winner of the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship, and a No Gi Brazilian jiu-jitsu World Champion. He has competed in the UFC, PRIDE, Dream, Strikeforce, M-1 Challenge, Sengoku and Impact FC. He holds notable victories over Roy Nelson, Sergei Kharitonov, Ricco Rodriguez, Kazuyuki Fujita, Oleksiy Oliynyk and Mark Kerr.
Monson is nicknamed “The Snowman” for his performance at the 1999 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championship. The Brazilian fighters at the tournament gave him the nickname because he came in as an unknown, but beat four Brazilians in a row to win the 88–98 kilogram weight class. As he went along in the tournament and continued to beat his opponents, they said he was like a snowball (white, compact, rolling and getting bigger and stronger as the tournament went on).
Via Wiki
