After a patchy and unsettling 2017, Carl Frampton begins the year re-energised and dreaming of a world title bout in Windsor Park.
At the start of last year, he held world title belts at two different weights and had just been crowned fighter of the year by both Ring Magazine and the Boxing Writers' Association of America.
However, in January, he lost his world title in his rematch with Leo Santa Cruz. Then there was the frustration of his cancelled fight with Mexican Andres Gutierrez. In November, he squeezed past game opponent Horacio Garcia, winning narrowly according to the judges.
In April, he fights Nonito Donaire, a 35-year old veteran but a former Boxing Writers' Association of America 'Fighter of The Year' and a highly dangerous opponent. If Frampton can survive that test then is eyeing up a Windsor Park title fight.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio's Saturday Sport, Frampton said he was anxious that he needed to gear up for a possible world title fight by taking on a serious fighter like Donaire.
"If I want to win a world title I need to be ready for it. I don't want to just be fighting for a world title, I want to get myself into a condition where I'm really ready for it. And this fight with Nonito Donaire is a hell of a fight, it's a fight. On any other occasion, it would easily be a world title itself.
"We're in a similar sort of situation in both of our careers. It's a must-win for both. I think whoever wins this, goes on certainly to fight for a world title.
"I believe I'm the biggest draw in the featherweight division, in terms of tickets. Which is important in this game. Windsor Park is dangling in front of my nose here. I'm going to do whatever it takes to get my hand raised at the end of the night.
"It's very close. It's going to a special occasion, a special night. Not just for me but for the whole city and the whole country. It's something I've talked about and dreamed about for a long time. And it's in touching distance now."