He has served as the president of the Wrestling Federation of Georgia since December 2012 and Head of Physical Training at the Georgian Police Academy since January 2013.

He made his mixed martial arts debut at the Pride Fighting Championships show on December 31, 2006, against veteran MMA fighter and former amateur wrestler Kazuyuki Fujita.

As an ally of the opposition leader Nino Burjanadze he took part in the May 2011 rally against the government of President Mikheil Saakashvili.

In 2012 he joined the Georgian Dream coalition led by the billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili after whose accession to premiership after the 2012 parliamentary election Kurtanidze became the president of Georgia's Wrestling Federation and Head of Physical Training at the Georgian Police Academy.

He has been accused of resorting to physical violence against his opponents in the Wrestling Federation.