Joe Rogan cries as Stephen Thompson retires after kick KO at UFC 334
Stephen Thompson ended his illustrious MMA career at UFC 334.
“Wonderboy” had announced his intention to retire before his clash with Charles Radtke at Madison Square Garden in New York.
The 43-year-old stayed true to his word, putting down his gloves after entering the Octagon one final time on Saturday night.
What are your favorite memories from Wondeboy’s 14-year UFC career?
Watch Stephen Thompson KO Charles Radtke
Charles Radtke immediately closed the distance at the start of the first round, where he earned an early takedown and spent significant time in top position.
However, he looked tired as Stephen Thompson managed to get back to his feet and fight his way into the round winning several scoring exchanges.
There was another early takedown for Radtke in the second round, but “Wonderboy” was able to get back to his feet much quicker the second time around.
Thompson turned up the pressure as the second stanza progressed and appeared to be on the verge of knocking out his final UFC opponent, who was saved by the bell.
It was pretty much the same at the start of the third round. Radtke had some relief when he landed, but it seemed like only a matter of time before he found himself facing something big.
In the end, Thompson connected with a spinning wheel kick to knock out Radtke and end his MMA career in style.
UFC commentator Joe Rogan was in tears during his latest interview with one of the best welterweights of all time.
Stephen Thompson Career Highlights
Stephen Thompson was a kickboxing phenom, posting an undefeated 57-0 record before transitioning to MMA in 2010.
The fan favorite quickly racked up a 5-0 record in his new sport, earning a call-up from UFC bosses.
“Wonderboy” made his promotional debut with an emphatic first-round headbutt of Dan Stittgen at UFC 143 in February 2012.
However, Thompson suffered a unanimous decision loss to Matt Brown in his next outing before embarking on a run for welterweight gold.
Robert Whittaker, Johny Hendricks and Rory MacDonald all fell to Thompson, who won seven straight fights to earn a shot at the 170-pound title in 2016.
A two-fight streak for the welterweight crown followed, but Thompson left empty-handed after fighting Tyron Woodley to a majority draw at UFC 205 before suffering a majority decision loss in their rematch at UFC 209.
MMA’s “nicest mother” never earned another title shot, but remained a dangerous presence in the welterweight division for years to come.
Thompson added other notable victories over Jorge Masvidal, Vicente Luque, Geoff Neal and Kevin Holland to his tally, continuing to demonstrate the striking brilliance that made him such a tough opponent.
However, setbacks became more and more frequent in the latter stages of his career, with Thompson going 17-9-1 in his retirement fight at UFC 334.
Three successive losses to Shavkat Rakhmonov, Joaquin Buckley and Gabriel Bonfim marked the worst run of his career and convinced the veteran it was time to step away from the sport after UFC 334.
Receive a weekly roundup of our best Bloody Elbow content straight to your inbox.
Gn headline
