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14-Year UFC Veteran Retires at UFC 334 Following Stunning Knockout Win

"Wonderboy" got a storybook send off at Madison Square Garden.
Drew Beaupre|
(Zuffa LLC)

A decorated MMA career that included a pair of UFC title bouts and a total of 28 professional fights came to an end at UFC 334.

Taking place at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York City, UFC 334 features 13 total fight with a pair of championship bouts at the top of the bill.

Among the many storylines at play around then event, fans knew heading into UFC 334 that they would see Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson compete for the final time in the night's featured prelim.

Stephen Thompson Announced Retirement Decision Ahead of UFC 334

A member of the UFC roster since 2012, Thompson found himself on the first three-fight skid of his career after suffering a controversial split decision loss at the hands of Gabriel Bonfim in July.

Stephen Thompson (red gloves) fights Gabriel Bonfim (blue gloves) in a welterweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Bridgeston
Stephen Thompson (red gloves) fights Gabriel Bonfim (blue gloves) in a welterweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Bridgestone Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

That losing run began when "Wonderboy" was submitted by Shavkat Rakhmonov in 2023 before being knocked out by Joaquin Buckley his next time out, with his last victory coming against fellow UFC 334 fighter Kevin Holland in a UFC Fight Night main event in 2022.

Stephen Thompson (red gloves) fights Joaquin Buckley (blue gloves) during UFC 307 at Delta Center.
Stephen Thompson (red gloves) fights Joaquin Buckley (blue gloves) during UFC 307 at Delta Center. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Matched with Radtke for what Thompson confirmed to fans would be his final fight, the 43-year-old came into UFC 344 as a very slight favorite to snap his losing run and close out his career on a high note.

"Wonderboy" Scores Highlight-Reel Finish in Final UFC Fight

Radtke took the center right away to begin applying pressure and keep Thompson along the edge of the cage, and it took less than a minute for "Chuck Buffalo" to shoot for a takedown and bring the former title challenger to the mat.

"Wonderboy" did work back to his feet and start to find some striking success after finally fighting his way off of the fence, and the 43-year-old got to spend considerably more time in his preferred area during the second round before he appeared to stagger Radtke right before the bell.

With things seemingly tied up at one round apiece heading into the third, Thompson started to really tee off on an increasingly-fatigued Radtke until he finally landed a spinning kick that rocked his opponent and sent him wobbling to the canvas.

Stephen Thompson Challenged for UFC Welterweight Belt in Back-to-Back Fights

Boasting one of the more unique fighting styles in UFC history, Thompson improved his MMA record to 6-0 and earned a "Knockout of the Night" bonus when he head kicked Dan Stittgen in the opening round of his promotional debut.

Stephen Thompson (blue gloves) swings at Robert Whittaker (red gloves) with a left hook during their UFC welterweight bout at
Stephen Thompson (blue gloves) swings at Robert Whittaker (red gloves) with a left hook during their UFC welterweight bout at Mandalay Bay. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Wonderboy" dropped his next fight to Matt Brown before putting together a lengthy win streak that included stoppages of future UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker and former welterweight titleholder Johnny Hendricks, which helped set him up for a title shot against Tyron Woodley at UFC 205.

Tyron Woodley (red gloves) and Stephen Thompson (blue gloves) fight during their welterweight championship bout at UFC 209 at
Tyron Woodley (red gloves) and Stephen Thompson (blue gloves) fight during their welterweight championship bout at UFC 209 at T-Mobile Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After the two men fought to a draw at Madison Square Garden in their initial meeting, an immediate rematch at UFC 209 saw Woodley narrowly defend his title against Thompson when he earned a majority decision.

Those two title fights with Woodley stand out as the most significant moments of Thompson's UFC run, but the 43-year-old also went on to collect several more post-fight bonuses after that before he closed out his career with one last highlight at UFC 334.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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