MOSCOW (Sputnik) — After a ceremony held at Moscow’s main migration office, the US boxing legend said he was happy to be a Russian citizen and announced that he was taking Russian language classes.
"I am Russian!" the 46-year-old exclaimed.
From left: Boxer Roy Jones Jr. who has received a Russian passport and promoter Vladimir Khryunov at a local division of the Russian Federal Migration Service
© Sputnik / Alexey Filippov
7 September 2015, 10:42 GMT
Jones, a silver medalist in the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games and an absolute world champion in the middleweight division, was granted Russian citizenship on September 12 by an order of President Vladimir Putin. As of now, he holds dual US-Russian citizenship.
On December 12, Jones will compete in Moscow for the World Boxing Association’s super heavyweight title.
