Stephen Thompson wants ‘barnburner’ at MSG for final fight on UFC deal

Stephen Thompson is mapping out his final UFC chapter, hoping to light up Madison Square Garden one last time.

The 43-year-old welterweight recently revealed he has one fight remaining on his current UFC contract and is targeting a November 14 appearance at MSG for what he's calling a "barnburner"—a thrilling, action-packed bout that will likely fall under UFC 334, the promotion's annual New York City card.

"Madison Square Garden, Nov. 14, got to make it happen," Thompson told Home of Fight. "I've actually got one fight left in my contract. We're looking at November… We'll see who we get. We're kind of looking at the roster, trying to find out a good fight. A good barnburner, if you will, for that card."

Thompson, a former interim welterweight title challenger, never captured UFC gold despite two attempts against Tyron Woodley but has built a devoted fanbase through his flashy striking style and genuinely likable demeanor. However, the veteran is currently riding a three-fight losing streak, having fallen to Gabriel Bonfim, Joaquin Buckley, and Shavkat Rakhmonov in recent outings.

As he approaches the twilight of his career, Thompson wants to go out on a high note in front of the roaring Madison Square Garden crowd. Negotiations are underway to find an opponent capable of delivering the kind of exciting, back-and-forth contest that defined much of Wonderboy's career—a fitting sendoff for one of welterweight's most stylistically unique strikers.