CONOR MCGREGOR is just one win away from landing the rematch he's so desperately coveted for the last two years.

The Irishman will make his long-awaited return to the octagon on Saturday night in the main event of UFC 257, where he'll lock horns with former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier.

Prior to last weekend, bragging rights and validation were the only two things on the line for the former featherweight rivals.

But that changed last Saturday when UFC president Dana White dropped the news most in the mixed martial arts world have been dying to hear.

During the inaugural UFC on ABC 1 event, White revealed that lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is considering performing a U-turn on his shock decision to retire last October.

Nurmagomedovs's competitive juices are clearly still flowing, although he insists he'll only return if one of the four lightweights competing at UFC 257 does something 'spectacular'.

But make no mistake about it, he means if McGregor does something to get his attention.

Nurmagomedov's stance on facing McGregor again is in stark contrast to what he's said in the years that have passed since their UFC 229 grudge match, which he won via fourth-round submission.

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The Russian has repeatedly claimed McGregor isn't deserving of the opportunity to share the cage with him again.

And, at one point, he even claimed he'd have to go on a ten-fight win streak to get a shot at redemption.

The reason for Nurmagomedov's U-turn is unclear. But what is apparent is that for the first time in over two years, the ball is now in McGregor's court.

The destiny of a potential rematch with Nurmagomedov, which would be the biggest fight in UFC history, is firmly in his hands.

A win over Poirier – who Nurmagomedov considers to be the benchmark in the division – could very well land him the fight he's so desperately craved.

But, as Nurmagomedov stated to White, he's got to do something extraordinary in his Fight Island showdown with The Diamond, who will be no walk over.

Poirier has come on leaps and bounds since suffering a devastating first-round KO loss to McGregor six years ago at UFC 178, winning ten of his last 13 and claiming the interim 155lb belt.

McGregor has gone on record with his intention to end Poirier's night in just under a minute, a feat which would likely garner Nurmagomedov's attention.

But should he labour to victory, he can forget about ever facing the pound-for-pound king again.

Nurmagomedov wants a dangerous challenger for his 30th professional fight, not someone who eked out a win in their last outing.

So the pressure is well and truly on the UFC's poster boy to deliver something special this week. He knows, White knows it and the entire MMA world knows it.

Barring his 2018 loss to Nurmagomedov, McGregor has risen to the occasion when the pressure has been on.

So don't be surprised if we see him deliver a career-best performance that leaves us talking for months to come and salivating at the prospect of one of the biggest rematches in combat sports history being in the pipeline.

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