1. Jeffrey William Monson was born on January 18,1971 and is an American-born Russian mixed martial artist, boxer, and submission grappler who competes primarily in the heavyweight division.
59 Facts About Jeff Monson
1. 2.
In submission wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Monson is a two-time ADCC World Champion and a no-gi Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion.
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In 2018, Jeff Monson was elected to the city Duma of Krasnogorsk.
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Jeff Monson is additionally the host of the multi-platform political and social commentary program Monson TV on Russian state-funded RT.
5.
In February 2023, Jeff Monson began the process of renouncing his American citizenship.
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Jeff Monson was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where he grew up for most of his childhood.
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Jeff Monson attended Timberline High School and continued on as a Division I wrestler at Oregon State University and at the University of Illinois and was a Pac-10 champion for Oregon State.
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Jeff Monson competed at the senior level at USA Wrestling events for a number of years.
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Jeff Monson received a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Illinois and a master's degree in psychology from the University of Minnesota Duluth, where he was the assistant coach of the wrestling team.
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Jeff Monson worked as a mental health professional for five years, both in a crisis evaluation role for Cascade Mental Health in Lewis County, Washington, as well as a child and family counselor.
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Jeff Monson is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and a two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Champion.
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Jeff Monson is an MMA fighter and has had three professional boxing bouts.
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Jeff Monson is considered to be one of the world's top submission grapplers.
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Jeff Monson is a multiple event winner at NAGA, Grapplers Quest and FILA, among other submission tournaments.
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Jeff Monson is nicknamed "The Snowman" for his performance at the 1999 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championship.
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At UFC 61, Jeff Monson fought another Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt in Anthony Perosh, whom Jeff Monson defeated by TKO in the first round.
17.
On November 18,2006, at UFC 65, Jeff Monson fought Tim Sylvia for the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
18.
Jeff Monson lost a five-round decision and would later ask to be released from his UFC contract in the hopes of facing then-PRIDE Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko at a BodogFIGHT event scheduled for March 2007.
19.
Jeff Monson's next fight was scheduled to be against Chris Guillen on August 17,2007, for the Global Fighting Championships' Heavyweight Championship, but the event was canceled after four of the eight scheduled bouts were removed from the card.
20.
Jeff Monson lost against Pedro Rizzo at Art of War 3, which was held on September 1,2007.
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On September 7,2007, Jeff Monson won two matches in the FILA World Championship in Turkey, defeating France's Zoro Piere and England's Tom Blackledge by submission.
22.
Jeff Monson was awarded the 275-pound gold medal when his final opponent Ramon Diaz suffered an injury and was forced to bow out.
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Jeff Monson defeated former UFC Heavyweight Champion Ricco Rodriguez in the main event of the Mixed Fighting Alliance "There Will Be Blood" event on December 13,2008.
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Jeff Monson avenged a loss to Rodriguez from almost seven years prior.
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On March 21,2009, Jeff Monson won a controversial decision against Roy Nelson on Roy Jones Jr.
26.
Jeff Monson immediately went to Japan and defeated top Russian Heavyweight Sergei Kharitonov on April 5,2009, at Dream 8, giving him three wins in two weeks.
27.
On September 12,2009, at Bitetti Combat MMA 4, Jeff Monson had his seven-fight win streak snapped, losing in a rematch with Pedro Rizzo by unanimous decision.
28.
Jeff Monson lost to Travis Wiuff in a split decision at XKL Evolution 2 on April 24,2010.
29.
Jeff Monson defeated Bira Lima at Impact FC 1 in Australia on July 10,2010, by unanimous decision.
30.
Jeff Monson faced Jason Guida on August 21,2010, at an event called "Fight Time 1".
31.
Jeff Monson defeated Jason Guida at 3:04 in the second round by a guillotine choke submission.
32.
Jeff Monson's next fight was scheduled to be against Neil Wain at "KnuckleUp: Kings of the North," but Neil Wain pulled out of the fight due to injuries.
33.
Jeff Monson defeated Keeley by submission in the first round.
34.
In 2011, Jeff Monson defeated Lee Mein on January 7 and Tony Lopez on April 1 in a five-round decision.
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Jeff Monson's next fight was against Maro Perak where he won a three-round decision.
36.
Jeff Monson defeated Paul Taylor in Birmingham, England at the Sprawl n Brawl promotion on October 9,2011.
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Jeff Monson fought Fedor Emelianenko at M-1 Global: Fedor vs Jeff Monson on November 20,2011, in Moscow, Russia and lost by unanimous decision.
38.
Jeff Monson was unbeaten in his four fights after the loss against Fedor, and in June 2012 signed a four-fight deal with the Super Fight League in India.
39.
Jeff Monson faced Dmitry Titkov on September 5,2014, at Fight Star: Saransk vs Penza.
40.
Jeff Monson lost the fight by cut TKO, after a cut opened up on Monson.
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Jeff Monson then faced Mikhail Shein at Fight Star: The Battle of the Sura 2.
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Jeff Monson won the fight via rear-naked choke in the second round.
43.
On 12 January 2021, Jeff Monson announced his official retirement from all forms of combat sports, including both MMA and Submission Grappling.
44.
In 2004, when facing Marcio Cruz at the Arnold Gracie IBJJF competition, Jeff Monson allegedly attacked a referee and caused a brawl following the use of a "can opener" submission.
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The original attack was not caught on camera, but Jeff Monson is shown being restrained by several competition staff and coaches.
46.
Jeff Monson was appointed as a special representative for international cooperation by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation's Sport Club in June 2016.
47.
Jeff Monson was the subject of a party political advertisement released in the run-up to the 2016 State Duma Elections.
48.
Jeff Monson is a member of the Industrial Workers of the World.
49.
On September 11,2016, Jeff Monson announced on Twitter that he had become a citizen of the Luhansk People's Republic.
50.
Jeff Monson was made an honorary citizen of the Republic of Abkhazia in October 2016 for "supporting nations striving for self-determination".
51.
On September 9,2018, Jeff Monson was elected to the city duma of Krasnogorsk, a city located near Moscow.
52.
Jeff Monson won the mandate as a candidate on the list of the ruling party United Russia, which nominated him without membership in the party.
53.
Jeff Monson has expressed explicit support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
54.
In September 2023, Jeff Monson was elected to the 110-seat State Assembly of the Republic of Bashkortostan as a member of the ruling United Russia party following an election.
55.
Jeff Monson now has a fourth child from a Russian woman.
56.
Jeff Monson got married with wife Ekaterina on October 7,2024.
57.
In late 2008, Jeff Monson spraypainted an anarchy symbol, peace symbol, "no war", and "no poverty" on the Washington State Capitol in photographs published in ESPN The Magazine.
58.
On February 16,2023, Jeff Monson declared that he was in the process of renouncing his US citizenship.
59.
Jeff Monson converted to Islam on June 19,2024, in Moscow.