Madison Square Garden has given Stephen Thompson some of the biggest nights of his career. On Saturday it will give him his last.
The 43-year-old “Wonderboy”, a karate stylist whose sideways stance and hopping footwork made him one of the most recognisable strikers of his era, has confirmed that his preliminary-card bout against Charles Radtke at UFC 334 is the end. The card is topped by Ciryl Gane’s heavyweight title defence against Josh Hokit, but for an older slice of the welterweight division, the prelim is the story.
“I love fighting at MSG. Spent a lot of time in Long Island, so New York is kind of like my home away from home,” Thompson said in comments reported by The Body Lock.
The venue holds his two shots at the 170lb title. He fought Tyron Woodley to a majority draw at UFC 205 in November 2016, then lost the UFC 209 rematch by majority decision the following March. A return to title contention never came.
Read also: Bruno Senna reveals moment Kimi Antonelli proved why he is an F1 world champion
No more title path
“I don’t see the title anymore. These guys are just young studs coming up. I’m not trying to get hurt,” Thompson said in an interview carried by Sherdog.
He takes a 17-9-1 record into the Radtke bout, with six losses in his last seven fights and three in a row. The division built around his wins over Rory MacDonald, Johny Hendricks, Robert Whittaker and Jorge Masvidal has moved on.
‘Wonderdad’ now
The other half is at home. Thompson’s daughter is five months old, and the nickname that has followed him his entire UFC career is being quietly replaced.
“‘Wonderdad’ now. That definitely changes your mindset a little bit.”
Read also: Report: Martin Odegaard ruled out of Bayern Munich move as ‘too old and far too good’
He has not shut the door on combat sports altogether, mentioning formats like Karate Combat and leaving a UFC return on the table once his daughter is older and the pull comes back. The octagon chapter closes on Saturday.
The main card at Madison Square Garden begins at 9pm local time, with Thompson vs Radtke earlier on the preliminary card.
Read also: Harry Kane opens door to Tottenham comeback: ‘One day, anything is possible’
