Following the anti-corruption protests against prime minister Dmitry Medvedev in Russia over the weekend, it has been discovered that clips of UFC veteran Jeff Monson have been utilized in state television propaganda broadcasts.

During the protests, Russian state television opted out of the national conversation by switching to a clip of Monson teaching an MMA masterclass.

As reported by Bloody Elbow, Monson is currently in the process of obtaining his Russian citizenship. He was also recently named the sports ambassador for the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.

In an attempt to improve their image, the communist party sent Monson to Luhansk to partake in a “sports programme” intended to enlist younger individuals into martial arts programs.

Bloody Elbow obtained a letter sent my Monson to the to LPR president Igor Venediktovich Plotnitsky which states that Monoson feels “sincere and deep kinship with the people of Donbas and wholeheartedly support their fight for independence. I am ready to make an active contribution to the development of youth sport on the territory of the republic and to do my part to inform the world community about the reality on the ground in the LPR.”

While Monson’s sports activism may have initially been met with praise, it would appear that it was used in more questionable means over the weekend.