Ex-UFC star, 38, found dead in prison after domestic violence arrest

A former Brazilian UFC fighter has been found dead in prison. Godofredo Pepey, 38, had been incarcerated in a Florida jail since June's end after being arrested on suspicion of assaulting his wife, Samara Mello. The news of the mixed martial artist's death was relayed to Samara and her lawyer, Gaudenio Santiago, who made an appeal to the Brazilian media: "The death of someone in custody is a serious matter.

"There are procedures that must be followed by the American authorities, and any and all news will be released by those authorities. Until then, I ask for respect for the family, his wife Samara, and that you avoid malicious comments and speculation, so as not to cause further suffering."

Born Godofredo Castro de Oliveira in Fortaleza, a city in north-eastern Brazil, Pepey began his martial arts training alongside his brother, Godofredo Claudio, a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He entered his first professional MMA fight at the age of 15 in 2003, took a three-year hiatus, and returned to active competition in 2006.

Pepey made his UFC debut in 2012 and fought for the next six years until the world's largest MMA promotion decided not to renew his contract. With over 87,000 followers on Instagram, Pepey made a name for himself in his homeland by appearing on the reality TV show The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil in 2012, where he was the featherweight runner-up.

He recorded 13 victories during his 21-fight professional career, with four coming by knockout and eight by submission.

Pepey was detained on June 30 in Deerfield Beach, Florida, and informed he was facing charges relating to an alleged attack on his wife.

Samara responded by sharing an image of her injured face, saying: "I want to say what many will never say: domestic violence is real in the world of sports, and in the combat sports community, it is still a taboo that few have the courage to mention.

"Today, I am rebuilding my life and am immensely grateful to have survived so that I can now make a difference in the lives of other women.

"I hope that the authorities in Brazil and around the world understand that the blood on my face and body is on the hands of those who still see femicide as a statistic and do not do enough to change that."

The ex-UFC fighter's brother, who runs a fight school, commented at the time: "My brother made a mistake. Now he will be held accountable and suffer the consequences of man's law and God's law.

"I know that many here, as they are already doing elsewhere, will use this mistake to measure and judge, but it is not my place to do such a thing. The team does not condone any attitude that may violate our principles, and this extends to anyone who is part of it."