UFC 334: Stephen Thompson vs Charles Radtke Preview & Prediction
by Gabriel Sheehan ·
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Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson makes his final walk to the cage under the bright lights of MSG, facing off against Charles Radtke in his farewell appearance.
Stephen Thompson vs Charles Radtke facts
What time are Stephen Thompson and Charles Radtke expected to walk out?
Where is UFC 334: Gane vs Hokit? Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC 334: Gane vs Hokit? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC 334
What TV channel is UFC 334: Gane vs Hokit on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Paramount
Where can I stream UFC 334: Gane vs Hokit? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and HBO Max / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC 334: Gane vs Hokit main card
Ciryl Gane vs Josh Hokit (Heavyweight)
Kayla Harrison vs Amanda Nunes (Women’s Bantamweight)
Caio Borralho vs Yousri Belgaroui (Middleweight)
Uros Medic vs Kevin Holland (Welterweight)
Bilal Hasan vs Luis Gurule (Flyweight)
UFC 334: Gane vs Hokit prelims
Stephen Thompson vs Charles Radtke (Welterweight)
Drew Dober vs Chris Duncan (Lightweight)
Jim Miller vs Terrance McKinney (Lightweight)
Donte Johnson vs Cesar Almeida (Middleweight)
Jared Gordon vs Melquizael Costa (Lightweight)
Macy Chiasson vs Beatriz Mesquita (Women’s Bantamweight)
Evan Elder vs Samuel Sanches (Lightweight)
Juan Diaz vs Alateng Heili (Bantamweight)
Stephen Thompson: "Wonderboy" looks to draw the curtain on an iconic career in style
Fan favorite and self-proclaimed nicest man in MMA, Stephen Thompson (17-9-1) has been a mainstay of the welterweight division for more than a decade. An elite kickboxer and karate practitioner who parlayed his point-striking style into MMA, Thompson is regarded as one of the finest pure strikers the sport has ever seen, utilizing incredible movement, footwork, and timing to stymy his opponents at range. The two-time title challenger has fought nothing but killers throughout his time in the promotion, earning wins over the likes of Robert Whittaker, Jorge Masvidal, and Vicente Luque along the way. He makes his final walk to the cage on Saturday night, having decided on retirement at the age of 43.
Charles Radtke: Can "Chuck Buffalo" play spoiler and steal the limelight?
In sharp contrast to his dance partner on Saturday night, Charles Radtke (12-5) might genuinely be one of the most unpleasant men on the UFC roster. Best known for cringeworthy nationalistic trash talk and dropping homophobic slurs in post fight rants, “Chuck Buffalo” is still a solid 5-2 under the UFC banner, leveraging his pressure and well-rounded skillset to put an overwhelming pace on his opponents. However, while he’s looked impressive against the lower half of the division, Radtke has been handled in short order any time he’s faced a significant step up in competition, getting slumped by Carlos Prates and Mike Malott in his highest level bouts to date.
Stephen Thompson vs Charles Radtke prediction
Thompson may be 1-4 across his last five, but we’re still going with “Wonderboy” to sail off into the sunset in his final MMA bout.
There are routes to victory for Radtke here. “Chuck Buffalo” has power and Thompson has been KO’d by less finessed strikers before. He also possesses a solid takedown game and “Wonderboy” has struggled with fighters who constantly pursue wrestling exchanges in recent years, giving up 19 takedowns across his last five fights.
However, Radtke simply hasn’t beaten anybody throughout his UFC tenure to make me think that he’s about to best Thompson. “Wonderboy” has been fighting the best fighters at welterweight for more than a decade; case in point, his last three fights have come against Shavkat Rakhmonov, Joaquin Buckley, and Gabriel Bonfim. Even at 43, he’s still one of the most technical, elusive strikers in the entire weight class, and wins over the likes of Daniel Frunza and Francisco Prado aren’t enough to make me believe Radkte just blasts through him here. Moreover, the fact that "Chuck Buffalo" has been completely pasted any time he’s faced a step up in opposition only reinforces that belief.
“Wonderboy” leans on his exceptional range management to stick and move on the outside across three rounds, fighting his way back to his feet if he gives up takedowns to earn the feel good decision in his final fight.
Prediction: Stephen Thompson to win by decision
