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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
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Former UFC Veteran Godofredo Pepey in Legal Trouble After Florida Incident: Report
Former UFC Veteran Godofredo Pepey in Legal Trouble After Florida Incident: Report originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Life after professional fighting can be unpredictable, but for one former UFC veteran, it's taken a troubling turn. Once a contender under the spotlight of international MMA, the ex-fighter now finds himself at the center of a serious legal battle. This week, reports surfaced out of Florida detailing an incident that could have long-term consequences both personally and legally. Advertisement Godofredo Castro de Oliveira, better known in the MMA world as Godofredo Pepey, was arrested on June 30 in Deerfield Beach, Florida. The 38-year-old Brazilian, once a runner-up on the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil, is facing a series of disturbing charges stemming from an alleged assault on his wife, Samara Mello. Dana WhiteGetty Images According to reports from Combate, Pepey allegedly struck her, caused visible injuries, destroyed household property, and then prevented her from contacting authorities. He is accused of locking her inside their home. Pepey was taken into custody after concerned neighbors alerted law enforcement. His bail has been set at $120,000, but even if paid, the former UFC featherweight may face deportation due to immigration procedures. Advertisement Godofredo PepeyGetty Images The charges include kidnapping with bodily injury, domestic battery by strangulation, and interference with communication to law enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by the state of Florida. Samara is currently receiving support from the Fighting Foundation, a non-profit founded by Rose Gracie aimed at helping fighters and their families with resources in mental health and crisis recovery. Once an athlete with 11 UFC appearances and a TUF legacy, Pepey's post-fight life has now taken a much darker path. While UFC President Dana White and the promotion have yet to comment publicly on the matter, the incident casts a shadow over the legacy of fighters who once represented the organization. Advertisement Related: UFC Faces Pressure as Ilia Topuria's Next Opponent Narrowed to 3 Possibilities Related: Tom Aspinall Has a Ruthless Goal—And It Involves the Entire Heavyweight Top 10 This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
3 days ago
- USA Today
Ex-UFC\u00a0fighter Godofredo Pepey arrested for kidnapping, domestic violence; wife speaks out
Pepey's wife, his alleged victim, says combat sports world rife with domestic abuse: 'Stop treating this as a secret' Ex-UFC fighter Godofredo Pepey arrested, held for kidnapping, domestic violence; wife speaks out Former UFC fighter Godofredo Pepey was arrested earlier this week and is being held in Florida for charges including domestic violence. Brazilian news outlet Combate was first to report the news of Pepey's arrest in Deerfield Beach in South Florida. Court documents show Pepey, who turned 38 Wednesday, charged with kidnapping and inflicting bodily harm or terrorizing the victim; domestic battery by strangulation; witness tampering; and domestic violence. The combined bail was set for the Brazilian at $120,000. But a fifth charge is an immigration hold on Pepey. In essence, that means if he makes bail, it would only be so he could be taken into custody by immigration officials for possible deportation. In the aftermath of Pepey's arrest, his wife, Samara Mello, posted on Instagram, in coordination with Rose Gracie of the non-profit Fighting Foundation, a charity supporting fighters – or in this case, the wife of one. The photo included showed a battered, bloodied and bruised portion of her face. The post, written in Portuguese, said she is a survivor of domestic violence and that it is prevalent enough in the combat sports world that it needs to be addressed more than it has been. "We need to stop treating this as a secret. Violence grows in silence," Mello posted, via translation. "I hope the authorities in Brazil and the world understand that the blood on my face and my body flows through the hands of those who still see femicide as a statistic and they don't do enough to change it." Mello's most recent social media post on the Instagram platform that included Pepey was less than a month ago and included a slide show of many photos of the couple together. But her Thursday post painted a very different story. Pepey (14-7), from Fortaleza, was on Season 1 of "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" in 2012. He lost the featherweight final to Rony Jason, then went on to 10 more fights in the UFC with a mixed bag that left him 5-6 overall in the promotion. But a stretch in 2014-2014 on the heels of back-to-back losses saw him go on a yearlong surge of three straight first-round finishes – and three straight post-fight performance bonuses, including one for a triangle choke finish of Andre Fili in the most standout moment of his career. Pepey was cut loose from the UFC after three losses in four fights, though, in 2018. Since then, he has fought just three more times, most recently a first-round loss to Abdoul Abdouraguimov in the Ares FC 3 main event in Paris in early 2022.
