Carl Frampton says he is "not optimistic" of securing an immediate rematch with Leo Santa Cruz and may seek to set up a home bout with Welshman Lee Selby instead.
Frampton lost the WBC featherweight title back to the man he had taken it from in January, in what was his first professional defeat.
Mexican Santa Cruz said he wanted a third fight with the Irishman in the immediate aftermath, but has since suggested he would also rather fight IBF champ Selby in a unification bout before facing Frampton again.
Further complicating matters, Selby has a mandatory challenger in Jonathan Victor Barros. Their meeting, on the undercard of Frampton-Santa Cruz 2 in Las Vegas, was postponed at late notice after Barros allegedly failed a blood test for hepatitis.
"I'm 99% sure my next fight will be in Belfast," Frampton told BBC Sport. "Whether it's Leo Santa Cruz or not, I don't know.
"The signs from his camp at the minute aren't very good. I'm not being too optimistic.
"That was the first loss of my career. I want to redeem that badly, whether he plays ball and comes out is a different story.
"If not, Selby is definitely the number two option. The defeat is fresh in my mind so I want it next, but realistically it's probably not going to happen next."
Frampton says his priority is to fight in Belfast after travelling to Texas, Manchester, New York and Las Vegas, and 'The Jackal' is confident of beating anyone willing to travel to Ulster.
"I want to fight at home. My last four fights have been away and I've been on the road a lot," he said.
"I want to come back and repay the fans so they don't have to travel again.
"To fight at Windsor (Park) would be a dream come true.
"If Santa Cruz doesn't play ball then Selby is a huge chance. That's the next sensible fight. It would be easy to make in Belfast.
"I don't think there's a man in the world that would beat me at featherweight in Belfast."
