American-born mixed martial artist Jeff Monson has beenelectedto office in the regional parliament of Russias republic of Bashkortostan, as the Central Election Commission on Wednesday officially recognized the results of this past weekend's vote.Monson will now serve among the 87 ruling United Russia party members who were elected to Bashkortostan's 110-seat state assembly, known as Kurultai, according to the partys list of elected representatives.President Vladimir PutingrantedRussian citizenship to Monson in 2018, and earlier this year the athleterenounced his U.S.
citizenship.Over the weekend, Russia held elections across dozens of regions, including partially occupied Ukrainian regions that Russian forces captured following Moscow's full-scale invasion.United Russia secured an overwhelming majority in the elections amid widespread reports of voting irregularities, as well as an unprecedented wartime crackdown on the opposition and civil society.Monsons ties to Bashkortostan appear to go back to 2021, when the fighteropened a jiu-jitsu and grappling school in the regional capital of Ufa.I feel at home here in Bashkortostan, Monson said at the time, according to the state-run RIA Novosti news agency.Now Im no longer American, Im just Russian, the Minnesota nativesaid in May after renouncing his U.S.
citizenship.Monson was previouslyelected to local office in Krasnogorsk, a small town northwest of Moscow, soon after receiving Russian citizenship in 2018.Monson also holds passports of the Kremlin-backed separatist Luhansk Peoples Republic and Georgia's breakaway republic of Abkhazia.Monsonsaid this summer he planned to run for Russias lower-house State Duma in 2026.