Kaladze encounters UFC combatant Chimaev with Kadyrov ties, labels him as a 'brother'
In a surprising turn of events, Kakha Kaladze, the Tbilisi Mayor and Secretary General of the Georgian Dream party, met with Chechen MMA fighter Khamzat Chimaev in Tbilisi, Georgia. Footage of the meeting was shared on Instagram by Kaladze himself, with the caption reading: 'Welcome to Tbilisi, my brother'.
The meeting occurred in a hotel near Tbilisi's Heroes' Square. In the video, Kaladze is seen hugging Chimaev and another person. The encounter, which took place in December 2024, was not the first time the two have met. Previously, they had met at the Tbilisi City Hall.
Chimaev, a fighter known for his longstanding ties with Chechnya's authoritarian leader Kadyrov, has expressed respect and gratitude towards him, referring to Kadyrov as his 'big brother'. This bond was evident when Chimaev personally thanked Kadyrov after clinching the UFC middleweight title in August 2022.
Interestingly, Chimaev received a Mercedes Maybach GLS 600, valued at approximately $180,000, from Kadyrov. However, the specific details surrounding this gift are not available. It's worth noting that the Mercedes Maybach GLS 600 typically costs more than this amount.
The meeting between Kaladze and Chimaev has raised some eyebrows due to Chimaev's association with Kadyrov. In response, Kaladze defended the meeting by stating that Chimaev is his friend. He further emphasised that he has friends with different political views, and this will not determine whether he is friends with someone or not.
Prior to the meeting in Tbilisi, Chimaev had faced visa restrictions, which limited his competitions to Abu Dhabi until UFC-319 in 2022, his first return to the American octagon in almost three years. His active participation in the US was reportedly facilitated by UFC president Dana White's active support during Donald Trump's election campaign.
Despite the controversy, the meeting between Kaladze and Chimaev serves as a testament to the growing relationship between Georgia and Chechnya, and the connections that can be forged across political and geographical boundaries.
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