Tbilisi Mayor clarifies he did not gift Ferrari to UFC star Chimaev

Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze has denied reports that he gave a Ferrari to UFC champion Khamzat Chimaev, saying the car belonged to a local dealership owner.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Kaladze said he had been friends with Chimaev for a long time. “He is a successful athlete, loved in Georgia. He visits our country often, including Tbilisi and other regions. He likes Georgians and has many friends here,” Kaladze said.

Addressing a video circulated by Georgia’s fifth president, Salome Zourabichvili, showing Chimaev allegedly breaking traffic rules, Kaladze stated that any infractions would be handled by the patrol police. “If Khamzat violated traffic rules, the police will issue a fine,” he said.

On the Ferrari, Kaladze clarified that he had only briefly sat in the car. “The vehicle belongs to Saba Mikava, owner of the ‘Forza Tbilisi’ dealership. He earned the opportunity to buy this blue Ferrari. I sat in the driver’s seat for 10–15 minutes, and somehow stories began circulating that I gifted it to Chimaev. In reality, it was Mikava who arranged the gift for his friend,” Kaladze said.