The effects of the Dubai flood are far-reaching, and even coach Javier Mendez found himself stuck in the UAE because of it. Mendez may have completed his ventures in Abu Dhabi, but he has probably run out of money to buy his tickets back home. That is why, his former student, Khabib, signed two autographs for him to raise money and buy his return ticket.
The UAE is currently facing the wrath of Mother Nature. It received the highest rainfall this year out of the last 75 years, which triggered floods in several parts of the country, including the major city of Dubai. Mendez got a first-hand look at the devastation, as he was stuck in Dubai during that time. However, he finally managed to make it to Abu Dhabi to join Khabib.
Mendez’s Instagram post revealed how ‘The Eagle’ tried to help him raise money to get back home after he ran into some financial trouble in the Middle East. It read,
“So I got the @khabib_nurmagomedov to sign two signatures for me so I can make money to go back how much would you guys pay to get me a flight home? Economy class is okay”
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It’s hard to imagine somebody trying to travel from one city to another in a country amidst a flood. Yet, Mendez eventually made it to Abu Dhabi despite the flood in Dubai during the time of his departure. This suggests that his trip to Abu Dhabi must have been immensely important.
Why did Javier Mendez travel from Dubai to Abu Dhabi amidst a flood?
‘The Eagle’ may have taken the initiative to help his former coach return home, but he wasn’t the primary reason behind Mendez’s visit to Abu Dhabi. Instead, Mendez traveled to the UAE to check how the current UFC lightweight champ, Islam Makhachev’s training camp was coming along.
The UFC has already elected Makhachev’s next rival, as he will be locking horns against the former UFC interim lightweight champ, Dustin Poirier on 1 June at UFC 302. Hence, Makhachev and Mendez don’t have a lot of time on their hands to train for the fight. This is probably why even the flood in Dubai couldn’t stop the AKA coach from joining Makhachev’s training camp in Abu Dhabi.