Wonderboy's Last Dance: Thompson to Retire After UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden

Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson has chosen the stage for his farewell. The 43-year-old former welterweight title challenger confirmed on Thursday that his fight against Charles Radtke at UFC 334 on November 14 will be the last of his mixed martial arts career, closing a run in the UFC that began in 2012. 'It's my last one,' Thompson told James Lynch of Ozoon. 'What better place to have it than Madison Square Garden, New York City?'

The announcement

Thompson made the announcement in an interview with Lynch that was published on November 5, ending years of speculation about when one of the sport's most recognisable strikers would walk away. The bout against Radtke is the final fight on his UFC contract, and Thompson was clear that the decision is his own. His body, he insisted, is not the reason. 'My body feels good,' Thompson said. 'I feel great. I can keep going. But I have a baby girl. ... 'Wonderdad' now. That definitely changes your mindset a little bit.'

Thompson became a father to a baby girl in September, and the new arrival has reset his priorities. He stopped short of closing every door, adding that he may be seen again as his daughter grows older, and he remains open to other forms of competition, including Real American Freestyle. No wrestling bout has been announced, and nothing has been signed. For now, the message is simple: after November 14, his days as a mixed martial artist are over.

A Garden farewell

Madison Square Garden was Thompson's choice, and it fits. He has fought in the building three times and calls it his home away from home after years spent training and living on Long Island. It is also where his career reached its highest point. Thompson fought Tyron Woodley for the welterweight title twice at the Garden, battling to a majority draw at UFC 205 in November 2016 before losing their immediate rematch at UFC 209 the following March.

He never made it back to a title fight, but the two Woodley bouts made him a star, and the Garden has stayed central to his story ever since. Returning there for his final walk gives the farewell a symmetry few fighters get to choose. Thompson asked for this venue, and the UFC gave it to him, placing his retirement bout on the featured preliminary slot of one of the biggest cards of the year.

The karate stylist who changed a division

Thompson arrived in the UFC in 2012 as a decorated kickboxer with a style the welterweight division had rarely seen, and his debut could hardly have been more emphatic. He stopped Dan Stittgen with a first-round head kick at UFC 143, the first of many highlight finishes built on side kicks, spinning attacks and footwork borrowed from karate. Wins over Johny Hendricks, Jorge Masvidal and Kevin Holland followed as he climbed toward the title, and his calm, sportsmanlike manner made him one of the most popular fighters on the roster.

The second half of his career was harder. Thompson has lost three straight fights, most recently a split decision to Gabriel Bonfim in July 2025, after defeats to Joaquin Buckley and Shavkat Rakhmonov. He is 17-9-1 as a professional, and he has been open about the fact that the results no longer match his ambitions. Yet he has never sounded like a fighter being pushed out. The decision to stop, he says, comes from fatherhood, not from defeat.

One last opponent

Charles Radtke, 36, is the man standing across the cage on November 14. The Floridian is 5-2 in the UFC and rides a two-fight winning streak into the bout, most recently outpointing Francisco Prado at UFC 327 in April. He has been stopped before by Carlos Prates and Mike Malott, and he knows what this fight means to his opponent. For Radtke, beating a retiring legend on a Madison Square Garden card would be the biggest win of his career. For Thompson, it is a chance to leave on a victory.

What comes next

UFC 334 is stacked around the farewell. The main event sees Ciryl Gane defend the heavyweight title against Josh Hokit, and the co-main event pairs Kayla Harrison with Amanda Nunes in one of the biggest women's fights the promotion has ever staged. Thompson's bout sits on the featured preliminary slot, but it may be the most emotional fight of the night. Afterwards, talk will turn to the UFC Hall of Fame, where his case rests on longevity, style and two title fights at the Garden. Thompson has not said what his life after fighting looks like, only that his daughter comes first now. On November 14, 'Wonderboy' walks to the Octagon one final time, and a 14-year UFC story ends where it peaked.