"Everybody is about weigh-in. I'm excited, too," Nurmagomedov says. "All the time, everybody is excited about the fights. Now, everybody is excited about the fights and the weigh-in. It will be interesting."
The UFC gave Nurmagomedov what he wanted: an interim lightweight title fight against Tony Ferguson at UFC 209 on March 4.
That event had the MMA world buzzing. Nurmagomedov was on the verge of UFC gold -- and perhaps a dance with Conor McGregor. At the very least, a dominant win by Nurmagomedov would have put enormous pressure on McGregor to respond in some way.
But Nurmagomedov never made it to the fight. He was hospitalized on the day of the weigh-ins with severe abdominal pain, which turned out to be coming from his liver.
"To be honest, I don't remember this time," Nurmagomedov says. "I don't remember what happened. They brought me to the hospital and I only remember feeling something so bad. I almost died."
Nurmagomedov quietly returned to Russia after UFC 209 and rehashed things with his father Abdulmanap, who is unable to travel to the U.S. because of visa issues. He underwent back surgery in Germany, unbeknownst to the public and even some UFC officials.
When he returned to his adopted home at American Kickboxing Academy, however, his weight was lower than usual.
"This fight is very important because people are talking about how I cannot make weight," Nurmagomedov says. "The last time, this was my fault. That's why people are waiting -- to see if I can make weight and stay busy.
"Now, my weight is good. Three weeks out, I will lose 3 or 4 pounds. Two weeks, another 4 pounds. The last week, I'm going to cut, like, 13 pounds. I have never been this light. The last week will be 13 to 15 pounds."
What Nurmagomedov wants now is a reset. He knows he can't overlook Barboza, but he is already talking about a rebooked interim title fight against Ferguson in the first quarter of 2018.
Ferguson (23-3) went on to claim that interim title in October by submitting Kevin Lee at UFC 216. Ferguson's eyes are now on McGregor, but Nurmagomedov doesn't believe the Irish star is rushing back for that fight.
"Conor made $100 million [to fight Floyd Mayweather in August]? Why would he come back for $10-15 million?" Nurmagomedov said. "I think Conor needs big motivation to fight because he has money. He's already a two-division champ.
"In the lightweight division, the most important fight is me and Tony. I have to fight with Tony. This weight division is a little bit weird right now, but I'm going to change this at the end of the year. In March or April, I'm going to fight Tony for the title."