Joe Ferraro

Background

Joe Ferraro was born on September 19, 1973, in Toronto, Ontario, to Italian immigrant parents. He was raised by his father.

Education

Ferraro attended Saint Roch’s Elementary School in North York, Ontario, spent one year at Don Bosco Secondary School in Toronto, Ontario and in 1992 graduated from Saint Thomas Aquinas Secondary School in Tottenham, Ontario.

Career

The television show aired weekly on Sportsnet 360, with multiple replays on all of Sportsnet’s channels, while the weekly radio show aired on Sportsnet 590, The Fan, and was syndicated across Canada. Ferraro first started training in martial arts with high school wrestling in 1989. In 1990, be began taking boxing and kickboxing and in 1996, Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

He continues to train mixed martial arts regularly.

Ferraro was certified as Mixed Martial Arts Referee on June 28, 2009, under “Big John” McCarthy’s C.O.M.M.A.N.D. training system, a recognized course under The Association of Boxing Commissions. He was subsequently certified as a Mixed Martial Arts Judge on September 26, 2010.

In 2000, Joe Ferraro co-founded Showdown Fightwear, as well as subsidiary Showdown Boxing. In June 2000, Showdown Fightwear began sponsoring mixed martial artists and promotions starting with the inaugural Universal Combat Challenge.

Along with Showdown Boxing, the two companies branched out globally, sponsoring various athletes in all major promotions, with their first introduction into the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 23, 2001, at UFC 30, when Australian Mixed Martial Artist Elvis Sinosic competed against Jeremy Horn.

Ferraro left Showdown Fightwear and Showdown Boxing in 2004. In 2002, he founded Showdown Entertainment Incorporated. From 2000 - 2005, Ferraro worked as a grappling and mixed martial arts (co) promoter, as well as manager, consultant, matchmaker, Military Cross, host and colour commentator for various organizations, including the Universal Combat Challenge, TKO Mobile Marketing Association , Freedom Fight, Oracle Application Express Championship Fighting and Hardcore Championship Fighting.

In April 2007, he began hosting “The Showdown” radio show, on Sportsnet 590, The Fan.

In October 2011, the show’s name was changed to “UFC Central”. He began working for Rogers Sportsnet in August 2007.

In March 2009, he began hosting “Mobile Marketing Association Connected”. The show’s name was changed in 2010 to “UFC Connected” and in 2011, to “UFC Central”.

Honors and

Achievements

• In 2005, at the Bravado Jiu-Jitsu Open, Ferraro received an award in appreciation for his “tireless efforts to the grappling community”. In 2009, Ferraro was nominated for “Mobile Marketing Association Journalist of the Year” by “Fighters Only Magazine”. In 2013, Ferraro received an honorary black belt from Ross O’Donnell, who was joined by Greg Jackson and Firas Zahabi during the presentation.