Vin Diesel is using his considerable social media powers to spread word of the latest "xXx: The Return of Xander Cage" developments, the sequel to his 2002 action film "xXx." This past Monday on Facebook, he informed his followers that Samuel L. Jackson will return to the franchise, after playing NSA Augustus Gibbons in both the 2002 original and 2005 sequel "xXx: State of the Union," which starred Ice Cube rather than Diesel. The star wrote: "Excited to work with Sam again... his portrayal of Gibbons was so good... timeless."

Things took an unexpected turn that same day on Instagram, where Diesel posted a picture of himself with the newly minted UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor, fresh off defeating José Aldo for that title this past Saturday in just 13 seconds (the fastest championship win in UFC history). Diesel's caption: "Timing and precision... The casting of the new XXX gets more exciting everyday. #Iliveforthisshit" implied that the ultra-popular fighter was also joining the sequel, for what would be his first acting role.

Fox Sports has since confirmed that McGregor has indeed been offered an unspecified role in the film, but has not yet reached a deal. Given McGregor's following and stature in the sport, it seems inevitable that he'll make the crossover to Hollywood sooner rather than later, much like former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey.

Directed by D.J. Caruso, "xXx: The Return of Xander Cage" doesn't yet have a release date, but Diesel's updates certainly suggest that production is moving forward at an appropriately fast pace.