MMA veteran Jeff Monson will square off with a literal killer in Maxim Novoselov in the ‘Clash of the Titans’ card on April 22 in Kursk, Russia.
Jeff Monson’s next opponent will be a convicted felon who served time for murder in Russia.
In news reported by Tass.ru, Monson faces 44 year old Novodelov, who is profiled as a European combat sambo champion. The Russian has a 3-2 pro MMA record, yet it is his criminal record which is garnering heightened interest. Novdelov was reportedly sentenced to 14 years in jail in 1993 prior to being released in 2004 on parole. Novodelov was once again apprehended in 2012 on drug trafficking charges, before his in April 2016.
Monson will enter his 87th professional MMA fight, and allegedly has no concerns about his opponent’s egregious record outside of the cage:
“Jeff isn’t concerned that he’s going up against an ex-con,” said Monson’s representative Marshall Comins (via BloodyElbow). “Doing time has never been a precondition for being a gifted or an accomplished fighter. Besides, it’s no secret that Jeff himself isn’t the most law-abiding citizen.”
This latest fight further protracts a retirement date for the 46-year-old, with Comins stating that this is “unlikely to be Jeff’s final MMA fight.”Jeff Monson
