The combat sports community lost one of its best.
Thomas Gerbasi — UFC.com editorial director, award-winning member of the Boxing Writers Association of America, author, mentor, and all-around gem of a human being — passed away Tuesday night at the age of 57.
News of Gerbasi’s passing was met with an outpouring of grief and gratitude across the fight world, with colleagues, fighters, and fans alike paying tribute to the man who chronicled countless stories in boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA).
“Very
sad to hear about my longtime friend & co-worker Tom Gerbasi passing away,” Bruce Buffer wrote on Twitter. “He was a fine man & journalist beloved by all his friends & co-workers in the world of sports, boxing, MMA & the UFC. May he RIP.”
Gerbasi’s career was defined not only by the volume and quality of his work, but by the kindness with which he carried himself. In a sport often defined by its toughness, he brought heart and humanity, always ensuring that fighters of every level had their stories told.
“It didn’t matter if you were in the first fight or the last fight: if you were on the other end of the phone, you had his full attention and he was going to put everything he had into telling a little piece of your story,” UFC.com’s Spencer Kyte wrote. “He never short-changed anyone, approaching every story as if it were the biggest thing he’d been asked to write, because he knew that for a lot of those athletes, it was.”
From his editorial work on UFC.com to his authorship of the legendary UFC Encyclopedia in 2011, Gerbasi left a permanent imprint on the sport. Just earlier this month, he released Boxing: The 100 Greatest Fighters, a book already receiving glowing reviews.
Gerbasi mentored countless journalists, providing guidance and friendship that extended well beyond bylines and deadlines. His words elevated fighters, inspired writers, and connected fans to the humanity at the core of combat sports.
Everyone at MMAmania.com sends our deepest condolences to Thomas Gerbasi’s family, friends, and colleagues. His voice will be deeply missed, but his legacy will live on in every story told.
