Stephen Thompson’s legendary MMA career is set to come to an end at UFC 334 on November 14. The former two-time welterweight title challenger has confirmed that his upcoming fight against Charles Radtke at Madison Square Garden will be his last inside the Octagon.
The 43-year-old has been hinting for some time that he has just one fight left on his current UFC contract. As a result, fans were already expecting this could be the final chapter for “Wonderboy.”
In an interview with James Lynch for Ozun, Thompson finally confirmed that he would hang up his gloves after UFC 334. He said, “Last one, brother! It’s my last one. What better place to have it than Madison Square Garden, New York City?”
For those unaware, Thompson recently became a girl dad in September 2026. Balancing his family responsibilities with the demands of a professional MMA career has clearly become a bigger consideration for the veteran.
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He added, “My body feels good. I feel great. I can keep going. But I have a baby girl… ‘Wonderdad’ now. That definitely changes your mindset a little bit. We’ll see as she’s older where I’m at. You might see me again.”
While his MMA career is coming to a close, Thompson isn’t necessarily done competing altogether. As Lynch revealed, the veteran remains open to offers from Karate Combat and RAF. However, with his daughter now four months old, his focus is firmly on family.
Thompson transitioned from kickboxing to MMA in 2010 and quickly made a name for himself, putting together a 5-0 record before earning his UFC opportunity. He made his promotional debut at UFC 142 in January 2012 and went on to win eight of his first nine fights.
His impressive run eventually earned him two opportunities to capture the welterweight championship. Thompson first challenged Tyron Woodley at UFC 205 in November 2016, with their fight ending in a majority draw. The two met again at UFC 209 the following March, where Woodley retained his title with a majority decision victory.
Despite falling short of becoming champion, “Wonderboy” built an impressive resume with victories over several notable names, including Rory MacDonald, Johny Hendricks, Robert Whittaker, Jorge Masvidal, Vicente Luque, Geoff Neal, and Kevin Holland.
Unfortunately, the later stages of his career haven’t been as kind to him. Thompson has lost six of his last seven fights and enters his final UFC appearance on a three-fight losing streak. That run began with a submission loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 296 in December 2023, while his most recent setback came against Gabriel Bonfim via split decision at a UFC Fight Night event in 2025.
Now, “Wonderboy” has one final opportunity to turn things around and walk away on a high note. At UFC 334, he’ll face Radtke, who joined the promotion in 2023 and holds a 5-2 UFC record, including back-to-back victories in his last two outings.
For a fighter who has given fans so many memorable moments, Madison Square Garden could be the perfect place to bring the curtain down on an incredible MMA career.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
