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Terry Flanagan knows something about the courage it took Orlando Cruz to become the first active professional boxer to announce he is gay.Cruz (25-4-1, 13 KOs), who came out in 2012, challenges Flanagan for his WBO world lightweight title on Saturday and will become the first openly gay boxing world champion if he wins at the at the Matchpoint Arena in Cardiff.Boxing this year has seen two of the sports biggest global stars -- Manny Pacquiao and Tyson Fury -- make homophobic remarks.But Flanagan (31-0, 12 KOs) only has admiration for Cruz after seeing his sister Chelsea also announce she was gay.To come out in such a sport like boxing which is a macho combat sport, you have to admire it, Flanagan told ESPN.It takes bravery and courage. It doesnt affect me at all as my sister Chelsea is openly gay.I remember well when she came out and what it was like. Shes had it hard, she came out in her teens and shes a better person for it now.Shes a footballer herself [for Sheffield FC in the Womens Super League] and there are a few girls in womens football who have come out. But there arent any in the mens game.There are more and more people coming out so people dont look at it as a bad thing and its good for boxing what Orlando has done.Puerto Rican Cruz, who married his partner Jose Manuel Colon earlier this year, was knocked out by Orlando Salido in a shot at the WBO world featherweight title in 2013.The 35-year-old has won his last five fights -- the last four were at super-featherweight -- and he will be Briton Flanagans challenger for the WBO belt he won in 2015.He looks quite classy, he can punch, and hes got a few knockouts, Flanagan said.He uses his short height to an advantage and looks a bit tricky. He lost to Salido, but Salido is a great fighter who has a win over [Vasyl] Lomachenko.Cruz is arguably Flanagans highest profile opponent yet, but the Briton is still yearning for a big fight.Flanagan, 27, had hoped to face fellow Manchester-based boxer Anthony Crolla (31-5-3, 13 KOs), who lost his WBA version of the world title on points to Jorge Linares (41-3, 27 KOs) in September.Flanagan now hopes victory over Cruz sets up a mandatory defence against Puerto Ricos dangerous Felix Verdejo (22-0, 15 KOs) or a unification fight.Verdejo is my mandatory and hes boxing after Christmas and then I will be looking at defending my title against him in March, or maybe it will be a unification fight, Flanagan said.?Ive heard there will be a rematch between Linares and Crolla so I wont be fighting either of them in the near future. Ive got my mandatory due in March so its maybe at least two fights away.Linares got offered the fight against me and took less money to fight Crolla again than he would against me, so he chose the safer option in fighting Crolla.I thought [WBC champion] Dejan Zlaticanin had accepted an offer to come over here and fight this month but then we heard he was fighting Mikey Garcia next instead. I thought it was done but was only a verbal agreement. Hopefully we can make it in the future.I just hope one of these big fights comes off for me in 2017.Flanagan says he would consider stepping up to light-welterweight and challenging for the vacant WBO world title, if American Terence Crawford relinquishes the belt to move up to welterweight.I would jump at the chance of fighting for the world title at the next weight, Flanagan said. If Terence Crawford is stepping up to welterweight then I would happily jump up.Crawford went from being WBO lightweight champion to fighting for the WBO light-welterweight title and Ive heard there are rumours that he will step up again if the fight is right. I would go straight into a world title fight if I stepped up. Mathew Barzal Islanders Jersey .J. Ellis hit two-run homers and the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 4-0 Saturday night. Billy Smith Jersey . -- There were a lot of firsts for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. http://www.islanderssale.com/authentic-jordan-eberle-islanders-jersey/ . -- Sergey Tolchinksy scored his second goal of the game 3:56 into overtime as the Sault Ste. Matt Martin Jersey . After a first half in which he thought "the lid was on the basket," the Toronto Raptors coach watched his squad mount a second half surge to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-91. Johnny Boychuk Islanders Jersey . Ivanovic was leading 7-5, 1-0 when Hantuchova withdrew after falling 0-40 behind in the second game. The match started slowly for Ivanovic, who surrendered her first two serves as Hantuchova took a 5-3 lead. NEW YORK -- Miami Marlins president David Samson, with the entire team joining him on Sunday, discussed the importance of resuming play Monday as a way to honor Jose Fernandez. In New York, Mets manager Terry Collins echoed those remarks, noting that the proper tribute to Fernandez would be to play the game with passion.Fernandez, the Marlins ace, died early Sunday morning in a boating accident.The Mets and Marlins begin a three-game series on Monday at Marlins Park.The Mets will face the delicate balancing act of showing the proper sensitivity for Fernandezs passing while competing for a wild-card spot. Fernandez had been slated to face the Mets in Mondays series opener after Marlins manager Don Mattingly decided to give him an extra day of rest.Obviously, when we get down there, we will have a meeting -- we will get together -- so that we keep things in perspective, Collins said. Its going to be really a tough night for a lot of people. Certainly we lost a great player, but the respect for the game itself -- and he had it -- its got to be played, and its got to be played right. Because I know thats how Jose would want to do it. Thats how he would want it played. And so weve got to keep that in our minds also.Before Sundays game against the Phillies, Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes helped tape a Jose Fernandez?Mets jersey to the wall of their Citi Field dugout.[Mets chief operating officer] Jeff [Wilpon] came to me and [Asdrubal] Cabrera with the idea. He had the jersey made, Cespedes said through an interpreter. He came and spoke to us in the trainers room before the ggame.dddddddddddd I decided I wanted to be the one to go out there and put it up, just to let everyone know how much this loss meant to us.The Mets will bring the same jersey to Miami to display in their dugout in solidarity.Cespedes, who also defected from Cuba, said getting through Sundays game, a 17-0 Mets win over the Phillies, was very tough.It was a very tough game today, Cespedes said. The loss of Fernandez was very tough. Even if everyone here wasnt necessarily close friends with him, we all knew how charismatic he was and how much the game meant to him.Cespedes and the Mets offered glowing remembrances of Fernandez -- and for far more than his dominance against the club. Fernandez was 3-0 with a 1.34 ERA in eight career starts against the Mets. He also showed enthusiasm for the game after treacherously defecting from Cuba.He was not only a great player, he was a great person, a great human being, Mets catcher Rene Rivera said. Its sad to hear the news about the passing of Jose. Im going to miss him. ... He enjoyed the game so much. Its a big loss in the Latin community of baseball. He was unique. What happened through his life, to try to come to the U.S. and follow his dream and save his mom, hes one of the great people in life. He enjoyed being on the mound, enjoyed baseball so much. Its a big loss.Said infielder Wilmer Flores: A lot of energy. When you see him pitching, thats what youre going to remember. Its just devastating news. ' ' '