Stephen Thompson confirms UFC 334 is his retirement fight: 'What better place to have it?'

Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson is preparing to call it a career.The longtime UFC welterweight contender and two-time title challenger confirmed that his Nov. 14 fight against Charles Radtke at UFC 334 will be the final bout of his MMA career, bringing an end to a run that has spanned 22 fights and more than a decade inside the Octagon."It's my last one," Thompson told Ozoon ahead of the New York event. "And what better place to have it than Madison Square Garden, New York City?"Thompson, 43, said his decision isn't necessarily about his physical condition, but instead that recently becoming a father has changed his priorities and helped him decide that now is the proper time to walk 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 capacity, he clarified that any future appearances would likely come in lower-stakes competitions such as Real American Freestyle or Karate Combat, and that nothing is currently in the works. He also made it clear that he has no plans to continue his MMA career with another promotion after UFC 334, ruling out a potential move to the PFL or elsewhere.A staple of the UFC welterweight division since 2012, Thompson established himself early on as a dangerous opponent for any 170-pounder, using his unique, karate-based striking style to quickly rise into the upper echelon of the division. His run peaked in 2016-2017 when he twice challenged Tyron Woodley for the UFC welterweight championship, first fighting to a draw at UFC 205 in 2016 — the first UFC event ever hosted in New York City — before losing their 2017 rematch by majority decision one year later.Thompson (17-9-1) now heads into his final UFC outing having lost five of his past six bouts, sandwiching a 2022 win over Kevin Holland between losses to several top contenders, including Shavkat Rakhmonov and, most recently, Gabriel Bonfim.