Ekundayo (13-1-KO3) and Thain (17-3-0-KO1) do battle for the vacant belt at the home of UK boxing and although originally from Nigeria, Ekundayo has fought the majority of his professional career at the venue.
‘The Natural’ said: “York Hall is my home. I live around the corner from there and have so many good memories of fighting there.
“I won Prizefighter there. I won the International Masters there. I won many more. In terms of boxing, it’s a place I feel completely comfortable in. Now I want to win the European title there.
“It means a lot for me to fight for Nigeria. I started boxing there at the age of 12. I had no parents around and boxing was the only thing that kept me going through hard times.
“To represent Nigeria at the Commonwealth Games and in many other international fights makes me very proud. Now, you have Anthony Joshua as the heavyweight champion and he has Nigerian heritage too. It means a lot.
“I’m trying to bring more sporting glory to Nigeria and inspire the youth. At this moment, I’m ready to make history and I hope all the Nigerians come out to support me on Friday night.”
