Outside Source
Godofredo “Pepey” Castro went 5-6 in the UFC. | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com
Former UFC fighter Godofredo Castro died on Sunday in a Florida prison unit where he was being held.
Originally from Ceará state of Brazil, “Pepey” was 38 years old and had been imprisoned since June 30 of this year, when he assaulted his wife Samara Mello, in the city of Deerfield Beach, Florida. The circumstances of his death have not yet been officially reported, but, according to his friend and “TUF Brazil” teammate Rony Mariano Bezerra, who defeated Castro in the featherweight final of the reality show in 2012, the Brazilian took his own life.
Advertisement
“I’m here to bring some terrible news. Unfortunately, we lost our partner, Godfredo Pepey. Unfortunately, he couldn’t handle the pressure and ended up taking his own life, may this serve as an example. Fighters can be very strong physically, but if their mind is unstable, they can end up committing an act like this. Very sad to lose this great partner, an unparalleled guy. A partner, a friend, a brother. Wherever you are, may God bless you. I love you brother,” wrote Rony “Jason,” who also posted a video sequence of them smiling and having fun on his instagram stories.
Castro rose to prominence after participating in the first edition of “TUF Brazil” in 2012. After finishing as runner-up in the show’s featherweight tournament, the Brazilian, who always dyed his hair red before his fights, embarked on an 11-fight career in the UFC, with five wins and six losses. “Pepey” was released from the organization in 2018 after being knocked out by Mirsad Bektic. Since then, he has had three more fights, the last one in 2022. His professional MMA record is 14 wins, seven losses, and one no contest.
Castro Faced Recent Domestic Violence Charges
He also ran for city councilor in Fortaleza, Brazili, in 2024, but was not elected. “Pepey” was arrested on June 30 after an episode of domestic violence against his wife, Samara Mello. The fighter allegedly physically assaulted Mello, causing bruises on her face and body, and also destroyed parts of the residence where the couple lived. According to reports, he also prevented her from leaving the premises or using the phone to call for help. Police were called by neighbors the day after the incident and arrested the fighter. “Pepey” faced a series of charges from the state of Florida, including kidnapping with bodily harm and intimidation of the victim, domestic assault by strangulation, obstruction of communication with the police and domestic violence.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
Help support MMACrazies.com when you shop Amazon by starting your online Amazon shopping at MMACrazies.com/recommends/amazon. You are not charged extra, but we receive a small and very helpful commission on everything you purchase. Thanks for thinking of us every time you shop at Amazon.
