John Kavanagh, trainer of UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor, said his fighter had returned to regular training and was considering the next step in his career.
"Conor is still the champion. They can say anything, but this belt is kept in my house. He decides himself which next step makes the most sense for him. We see how everything developed during his absence. He did other things. Let's see what happens in 2018. In any case, I'm very excited about this.
"I'm glad to see that he's back to regular training. In his life, there were a lot of things outside the fighting activities. It seems that now he understands all this - he trains almost every day.
"I think that 2018 will be another great year for us. What exactly happens, I do not know yet. The plan is being formed, but, as they say, expect news. For my part, I will strongly insist on MMA. Boxing was an excellent adventure for us, but mixed martial arts is my passion. If I can influence this in any way, he will appear in the octagon this year," Kavanagh told BBC Northern Ireland.