The UFC paid tribute to veteran writer Thomas Gerbasi during the UFC Perth Fight Night card, which is currently taking place at RAC Arena in Western Australia.The 57-year-old passed away on Tuesday last week, sending shockwaves across the combat sports world, which expressed their condolences via various social media platforms.Who is Thomas Gerbasi?Thomas Gerbasi was a well-known writer who contributed to a variety of boxing publications, including BoxingScene, The Ring, and ESPN, while serving as the UFC's editorial director for the past 20 years. Along with his contributions to digital media, the Staten Island native also wrote several books, like the UFC Encyclopedia and Boxing: The 100 Greatest Fighters. Notably, he received the Nat Fleischer Award for Excellence in Boxing Journalism from the Boxing Writers Association of America last year.Several MMA personalities were devastated by hearing the news of Gerbasi passing away. Former UFC lightweight kingpin Frankie Edgar recently took to X and wrote:''Rip to one of the best combat sports writers that i’ve had the pleasure of speaking with Tom Gerbasi . Tom was such a class act and I always looked forward to our chats together before my fights, he recently reached out to wish me well for my Bare Knuckle fight, cause that’s who he was. Tom you will be missed my friend.''The Ring CEO Rick Reeno also issued a statement and expressed his admiration for Gerbasi's contributions to the boxing community:''I’m absolutely crushed by Tom’s passing. Tom Gerbasi was a pioneer for combat sports on the Internet. He covered the boxers who were often ignored. It didn’t matter if the fighter was an amateur, a prospect or a retired veteran, Tom gave them a voice and told their story. In my 20 years of knowing Tom, I’ve never heard anyone say a bad word about him. He will be sorely missed by the entire fight community. May he rest in peace.''