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."
As heard on @SatSportRTE @RealcFrampton chats about his hopes for 2018 to @rtesport @AdrianEames1 #framtondonaire https://t.co/O97RrKMzyn
— Saturday Sport (@SatSportRTE) January 20, 2018
While all may have not gone to plan for Frampton in 2017, his fellow Belfast fighter Ryan Burnett stepped into the breach and became the unified bantamweight world champion.
Frampton believes we are living through the greatest ever era in the history of Irish boxing and is bullish about the future from an Irish boxing perspective.
"I'm a Belfast boy and I'm very well supported by the people of Belfast and Northern Ireland. I represented Ireland as an amateur. I know I'm well supported in the south as well. And even further afield in the UK. There was a guy who came to watch the Quigg fight from Australia. It was a day trip from Australia. He had to work on Monday morning.
"I think it's the best period that the whole country has ever had, if I'm being honest, in terms of professional boxing. Burnett's flying. Mick Conlan is certainly going to win a world title. Paddy Barnes, I think, is going to win a world title as well. Katie Taylor is flying the flag for Irish boxing, and also women's boxing on a global stage.
"But even the other guys coming though like Tommy McCarthy and Tyrone McKenna. But TJ Donaghy is one who doesn't get mentioned as much. He's based out in Australia. A guy who beat me in the amateurs and a good friend of mine and a hell of a fighter. I reckon TJ is going to be our next world champion."