UFC Encyclopedia [Hardcover]

UFC Encyclopedia [Hardcover]
Thomas Gerbasi (Author)

Question 1: What is your background in reporting on fighting, both MMA and boxing?

Gerbasi: It’s a long story that for some reason gets even longer when I write it. Let’s just say that my sports management degree from St. John’s University wasn’t doing me any good, and my full-time job as a maintenance foreman wasn’t doing the trick either, so I began writing about boxing for various websites (with the occasional newspaper or magazine piece tossed in for good measure), just to keep my brain working. Eventually, I was so desperate to break into this strange world that I began designing websites (poorly) for some fighters, as well as doing publicity (not as poorly).

Eventually, during the tail end of the dot.com boom in 2000, I received an offer as webmaster/editor/writer for HouseofBoxing.com. That lasted a year, until the dot.com boom turned into the dot.com crash. Three of my buddies from HouseofBoxing and I then formed MaxBoxing.com, which paid the bills for a long time. Around 2000, I met Bruce Buffer through one of my partners in MaxBoxing, Gary Randall, and he needed some original content for his website. I had watched MMA since the first UFC in 1993, and jumped at the opportunity to cover the sport. From Bruce’s website, we formed MaxFighting.com, and this lasted until 2005, when I left to write for InsideFighting.com. Then fate intervened later that year.

Question 2: How did you end up as the Editorial Director for the UFC? Why did the UFC choose you to be the sole author on this project?

Gerbasi: My editor at InsideFighting.com (and present UFC.com contributor), Mike DiSanto, called me on a Saturday night and asked me if it was cool for him to give my number to UFC President Dana White. Of course I said yes, and Dana called me that night to talk to me about the editor’s job at UFC.com, which was being revamped and redesigned. I had interviewed Dana a number of times over the years for MaxFighting, and we had a good rapport, so when talking about the new job, we were on the same page immediately and came to an agreement fairly quickly. Mike gave me his blessing, and within a week, I was on the phone with Frank Mir, Diego Sanchez, and Nick Diaz for my first stories on UFC.com. Over the years, the job has expanded from handling the website into many other editorial areas within the organization, including the UFC Encyclopedia. I think getting the Encyclopedia gig was helped by the fact that I’ve followed the sport from the beginning and have also covered it for over a decade. I’ve been fortunate enough to have interviewed practically every major player in the sport at one time or another (and in many cases, multiple times), so I’ve had a unique view of what has gone on in the UFC from 1993 to the present.

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