Stephen Thompson ended his MMA career on a high note earlier tonight (Sat., Nov. 14, 2026) at UFC 334 LIVE on Paramount+ from inside Madison Square Garden in New York City, as “Wonderboy” laid waste to welterweight counterpart Charles Radtke with a devastating third-round TKO (spinning wheel kick).
Despite his UFC experience, Thompson was just a slight betting favorite over Radtke in the “Prelims” headliner. That’s because Thompson is 43 years old and hasn’t looked quite himself in a few years. Saturday
was his official retirement fight, but a dangerous one at that. Radtke is a solid fighter at 170 pounds and trains alongside former UFC champion Belal Muhammad, who holds a career win over “Wonderboy.”
Radtke did what most expected in the early going as he clinched and level changed to take Thompson down. Thompson is notoriously one of the hardest welterweights to keep down so Radtke had to fight hard to gain his positions. That only lasted so long as Thompson found his groove in the second round with a nasty left hand followed by a combination that backed Radtke against the cage and forced him to shoot for a takedown. Thompson defended and launched a nasty toe kick to the body moments later. Radtke was hurt, but the end of the round saved him.
Thompson continued his efforts early in the third round landing a head kick that sent the MSG crowd into a roar. Radtke survived for a few minutes more before Thompson unleashed a ridiculous spinning wheel kick. It landed flush on the side of Radtke’s head and that was all she wrote. It was an incredible sendoff for one of the best strikers UFC fans have ever seen.
Check out the video highlights below, including a crying Joe Rogan in the post-fight interview!
For complete UFC 334 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.
