Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson is getting ready to call it a profession.
The longtime UFC welterweight contender and two-time title challenger confirmed that his Nov. 14 struggle against Charles Radtke at UFC 334 will be the remaining bout of his MMA profession, bringing an finish to a run that has spanned 22 fights and more than a decade inside the Octagon.
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“It’s my last one,” Thompson advised Ozoon forward of the New York occasion. “And what better place to have it than Madison Square Garden, New York City?”
Thompson, 43, said his determination is not essentially about his bodily situation, but instead that just lately turning into a father has modified his priorities and helped him resolve that now is the correct time to stroll away from high-level MMA.
“My body feels good, I feel great. Like, I can keep going. But I have a baby girl,” Thompson added.
“[I’m] ‘Wonderdad’ now. So 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 “Wonderboy” left the door open to competing again in some capability, he clarified that any future appearances would possible come in lower-stakes competitions such as Real American Freestyle or Karate Combat, and that nothing is at present in the works. He also made it clear that he has no plans to proceed his MMA profession with another promotion after UFC 334, ruling out a potential transfer to the PFL or elsewhere.
A staple of the UFC welterweight division since 2012, Thompson established himself early on as a harmful opponent for any 170-pounder, utilizing his distinctive, karate-based hanging fashion to shortly rise into the higher echelon of the division. His run peaked in 2016-2017 when he twice challenged Tyron Woodley for the UFC welterweight championship, first combating to a draw at UFC 205 in 2016 — the first UFC occasion ever hosted in New York City — before shedding their 2017 rematch by majority determination one 12 months later.
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Thompson (17-9-1) now heads into his remaining UFC outing having lost 5 of his previous six bouts, sandwiching a 2022 win over Kevin Holland between losses to several high contenders, including Shavkat Rakhmonov and, most just lately, Gabriel Bonfim.
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