Monson about being denied entry to Moldova: “I was offered to cover up the tattoo with the letter Z on my neck and not talk about Russia”

Russian fighter Jeff Monson, who was banned from entering Moldova to participate in an FEA league fight, told Match TV that he was offered to use makeup to cover up the Z tattoo on his neck, but he refused.

On November 29, Monson was supposed to fight in Chisinau against Moldovan Ion Soltoianu. Earlier, Monson told Match TV that he was not allowed into the country because of Russian support.

— I was offered to use makeup to disguise the tattoo with the letter Z on my neck, and not to talk about Russia during the press conference, but I refused these requests. These requests were offensive to me. “I will never hide where I come from and who I support,” Monson told Match TV.

Monson is 54 years old, has been a Russian citizen since May 2018, and at the end of May 2023 he surrendered his American passport at the US Consulate in Istanbul.

At the end of July, Monson fought with Maxim Shcherbakov in Yevpatoria. The fight, according to the rules of full contact combat, lasted the entire distance. The winner of the confrontation was not announced. Monson previously stated that the fight in Yevpatoria would be the last in his career. Before the fight with Shcherbakov, he won 60 victories in mixed martial arts, suffered 26 defeats, finished one fight in a draw, and one of his fights was declared invalid.