There are certain names in combat sports you just assume will always be there. The fighters come and go, the belts change hands, but the voices—the ones who tell the story of the sport—they feel permanent. That’s why the news this week hit like a body shot nobody saw coming: Thomas Gerbasi, the UFC’s unofficial encyclopedia, is gone at 57.

If you’ve followed MMA or boxing for any stretch of time, you’ve read his words. You might not have realized it, but you did. From shaping UFC.com’s editorial voice, to authoring The UFC Encyclopedia, to dropping his latest book Boxing: The 100 Greatest Fighters just weeks ago, Gerbasi was giving UFC a soul. Fighters fought, yes, but Thomas Gerbasi made sure their stories lived forever.

And here’s the part that stings even more: right before his passing, he was quietly helping Jon Anik prepare to call Canelo vs. Crawford, Dana White’s big return to boxing. Think about that. The man literally poured his knowledge into one last major fight week, shaping the broadcast in ways fans will never fully know. That’s why his absence isn’t just sad—it’s a void. One the sport may never fill.

Dana White’s tribute to Thomas Gerbasi revealed by Jon Anik

This month, Dana White made a bold return to boxing with Canelo vs. Crawford, officially reviving Zuffa Boxing after eight years of dormancy following McGregor vs. Mayweather. To call the action, White turned to Jon Anik, the familiar voice of the UFC. However, boxing brought a new challenge for Anik, who knew he needed expert guidance to get it right.

That’s when Thomas Gerbasi stepped in. Jon Anik revealed, “I was getting ready to call Canelo versus Crawford and he was the guy that I knew I needed to reach out to on the front end of this assignment and so circumstantially he and I talk to talked extendedly leading up to this fight and uh yeah, it just hits particularly hard because of that because maybe there would be times where we would go uh a year or so without verbal interaction”

 Gerbasi’s deep knowledge of combat sports made him the perfect sounding board, a trusted resource the UFC could always rely on. Even behind the scenes, his influence was apparent, and consequently, his legacy strengthens the argument for a UFC Hall of Fame honor. Furthermore, speaking on Gerbasi’s impact and work with Dana White’s team, Anik added, “I heard that Dana White bought a hundred of these books and it’s fantastic.“

Altogether, it is a fitting tribute to the living encyclopedia who shaped the way fans experience both MMA and boxing. Gerbasi’s latest release, Boxing: The 100 Greatest Fighters, is more than a reference book—it’s a journey through boxing history. Packed with profiles of the sport’s legends, it highlights career-defining bouts, title wins, and signature moments that made each fighter unforgettable.

UFC boss Dana White appeals for solidarity after Charlie Kirk tragedy

A single shot struck Charlie Kirk, the high-profile Trump ally and founder of Turning Point USA in the neck during a live Q&A in front of roughly 3,000 people. Eyewitness footage shows Kirk raising his hand to the wound before collapsing from his chair, triggering panic and a frantic evacuation. In an almost surreal twist, he had just been answering a question about gun violence moments before the attack. The boldness of the assault—a sniper reportedly positioned on a distant rooftop—shocked the nation, instantly turning a political forum into a scene of chaos and tragedy.

UFC president and longtime Trump ally Dana White weighed in on the devastating event, describing its ripple effect. “Things started to feel better and get normal again, and then that happened, and it’s almost like, you know, it’s all starting over again. Not just my daughter, a lot of kids were impacted by this, kids who loved and respected Charlie, and it’s just, it’s just hard to wrap your brain around when something like this happens.”

White called for unity and calm in the wake of the attack. “All I’m looking for over the rest of this year and into next year is some unity, coming back together as a country and stop all the in-fighting and the finger-pointing, and just some normalcy again. Let this country get back to normal.”

Thomas Gerbasi’s passing and the Charlie Kirk tragedy feel worlds apart, yet together they paint the same picture: combat sports doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s tied to history, politics, culture, and the people who dedicate their lives to it. And without voices like Gerbasi guiding the way, the fight world feels just a little harder to navigate.