Nurmagomedov, 29, has been scheduled to fight the newly-crowned interim lightweight champion a staggering three times.

A knee injury to Nurmagomedov and a collapsed lung for Ferguson, the Ultimate Fighter season 13 winner, caused the fight’s first two cancellations.

Nurmagomedov and Ferguson were scheduled to meet one another in the co-main event of UFC 209 in March in an interim lightweight title fight, which, in theory, would’ve seen the winner move into pole position to welcome Conor McGregor back to the Octagon.

However, much to the disappointment of many in the mixed martial arts world, the eagerly-anticipated bout was scrapped a little over 24 hours before fight night as Nurmagomedov fell ill hours before the weigh-ins.

Nurmagomedov makes his return to the Octagon later this month in the co-main event of UFC 219, which will see him take on the dangerous Edson Barboza.

The Dagestan native plans running through the Brazilian and reckons doing so will see him handed another fight with Ferguson.

“I think he wants to move on. But fans still want this fight,” the No.2 ranked lightweight in the world said during an appearance on UFC Tonight. 

“The fans love this fight and the UFC want to make this fight. We can sell a lot of pay-per-views.

“When I beat Edson Barboza, I’m going to fight with Tony Ferguson. And he knows this.”

Should Nurmagomedov get past Barboza, he’s hopeful of finally getting his hands on Ferguson in the spring.

“My focus is Edson Barboza on the third of December,” ‘The Eagle’ added.

“And after this, I’m going to fight with Tony Ferguson in March or April.”

UFC 219 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 30 and is headlined by a women’s featherweight title fight between champion Cris ‘Cyborg’ and former women’s bantamweight queen Holly Holm.