Jeff Monson’s journey from American MMA muscle to Russian propagandist

On 23 May 2023, Jeff Monson – a veteran mixed martial arts fighter and former UFC title challenger – arrived at the US consulate in Istanbul and officially turned his back on the land of his birth.

“I renounced my US citizenship because of the politics of this country,” Monson told Russian state-owned media agency TASS after handing over his American passport at the consulate. “All my thoughts and my future are connected only with Russia. Now I am no longer an American. I am only a Russian.”

Monson’s decision to surrender his US citizenship is the culmination of the 52-year-old’s evolution from American muscle to Russian wartime propagandist – a journey that is among the strangest career trajectories in sport.

A native of St Paul, Minnesota, Monson worked as a child psychologist specializing in trauma before embarking on a career as a fighter. He quickly established himself as one of the world’s top submission grapplers by winning a gold medal at the 1999 Abu Dhabi Combat Club championship. He also earned his nickname, The Snowman, a surprisingly gentle moniker for a 240lb fighter with the words “Destroy Authority” tattooed around his neck.

In 2000, Monson signed with the UFC but was released after a loss to Chuck Liddell, who would go on to become one of the UFC’s top stars. Undeterred, Monson fought his way back to the organization, compiling an impressive 3-0 winning streak that earned him a shot at the heavyweight title. However, Monson fell short against champion Tim Sylvia at UFC 65 in 2006, leading to his departure from the organization.

Monson then became one of the sport’s most popular mercenaries, fighting for any organization that would offer him a pay check. Over the course of the next decade, Monson competed