One of the fan-favorite UFC fighters is all set to ride off into the sunset this month. On November 14, former UFC welterweight title challenger Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson will face Charles Radtke on the UFC 334 card at Madison Square Garden, headlined by Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit. Ahead of the bout, Thompson confirmed to MMA reporter James Lynch that his next fight will mark his final appearance in the UFC. 

“Last one, brother. It’s my last one, and what better place than having it than Madison Square Garden, New York City?” Thompson confirmed on Lynch’s YouTube channel.

For a veteran like ‘Wonderboy,’ a final UFC bout at the iconic Madison Square Garden makes complete sense. In August, ‘Wonderboy’ mentioned that his upcoming fight would mark the end of his UFC contract and that there was a chance it could be his last.

At that time, the UFC had not named an opponent yet or announced his fight, so Thompson refrained from putting a stamp on it. However, after the fight became official, ‘Wonderboy’ appears to have announced it as his retirement bout.

Having made his UFC debut in February 2012 against Dan Stittgen, after almost 15 years inside the promotion, the 43-year-old is leaving the company on the back of a legacy built on countless highlight-reel finishes and tough battles against elite opponents.

‘Wonderboy’ will be remembered for his two championship bouts against Tyron Woodley.  

Thompson faced Woodley for the welterweight title twice in his career. At first, the South Carolina native went to a majority draw against ‘The Chosen One’ at UFC 205 in November 2016. Though he didn’t lose the fight, Thompson ultimately failed to defeat the champion, which allowed Woodley to retain his belt.

Because of the ifs and buts surrounding their UFC 205 fight, the promotion matched them up once again at UFC 209. Unfortunately, Thompson again fell short, losing to Woodley by a narrow majority decision in 2017. 

‘Wonderboy’ tried to climb the ladder once again in pursuit of another title shot. But he ended up losing fights at crucial moments, leaving him shy of another title opportunity. 

The latter part of Stephen Thompson’s career also remained lackluster. The former UFC welterweight title challenger’s last win came against Kevin Holland in 2022. That win stands as the most recent of ‘Wonderboy’s career, as he has since dropped three fights in a row.

Shavkat Rakhmonov and Joaquin Buckley finished the 43-year-old. Later, Gabriel Bonfim defeated him via split decision. 

With all those defeats and a declining résumé, Stephen Thompson’s retirement happened to be a logical decision. However, there’s another factor that motivated him to finally lay down his gloves. ‘Wonderboy’ has become ‘Wonder-Dad’! 

Stephen Thompson embraces fatherhood as UFC retirement approaches

Reflecting further on his decision to retire, Thompson revealed that he became a father to a baby girl in September.

After embracing fatherhood for the first time, the ex-UFC title challenger felt it was time to end his career for good and spend time with his daughter and family, despite still feeling good about his body.

“My body feels good,” Thompson added in the same interview. “I feel great. I think I can keep going. But… I have a baby girl. Wonder dad! So, that definitely changes your mindset a little bit.”

Despite closing the chapter on his UFC career, the 43-year-old left the door slightly ajar for a possible comeback, though not in MMA but in freestyle wrestling.

“But let’s see when she’s older where I’m at,” Thompson added. “You know, you might see me again. Yeah, 100%. I think that’s great, especially for guys who are looking for… kind of on their way out. Oh, I know to get back on their training camp.

“You know, when I was out there in London when Michael Chandler was preparing for that. So, it was really cool to see those guys out there and do their thing. Even Holly Holm, who’s not like a wrestler and she went out and did it. So… it kind of inspired me, like I might want to give this a shot.”

For Thompson, RAF would be a great opportunity. The risk around the sport is a little lower because freestyle wrestling involves no strikes or submissions. Like Colby Covington and others, ‘Wonderboy’ could aim for a sustainable career after his UFC retirement.

That said, it will be interesting to see whether Thompson can secure a win in his next fight at UFC 334 and end his career on a high note.