Brazilian MMA athlete had been detained in Florida since June after being accused of attacking his wife; cause of death was not disclosed
MMA fighter Godofredo Castro de Oliveira, known as Godofredo Pepey, died on Sunday (9.Nov.2025) in a prison unit in Florida, United States. The 38-year-old athlete from Ceará has been detained since June 30, 2025, when he was arrested accused of assaulting his wife, Samara Mello, in the city of Deerfield Beach.
North American authorities communicated the death to the fighter’s family, but the causes have not yet been disclosed.
Pepey had been in prison for just over 4 months in the United States. He was facing several charges in Florida, including kidnapping with bodily injury, intimidation of the victim, domestic battery by strangulation, obstructing communication with police and domestic violence.
Born in Fortaleza (CE), Godofredo Pepey gained prominence in the mixed martial arts scene when he participated in the 1st season of the reality show “The Ultimate Fighter Brasil” in 2012. After this exposure, the Ceará native built an international career in MMA.
The fighter from Fortaleza competed in 11 fights in the with 5 wins and 6 losses. He was released from the organization in 2018 and had 3 more fights later, with the last one in 2022.
In addition to his martial arts career, Pepey tried to enter politics. In 2024, he ran for councilor in Fortaleza, but was unable to be elected.
