Ex-UFC star found dead in Florida prison while facing charges of kidnapping and strangling his wife

A former UFC star has reportedly been found dead inside a Florida prison at the age of 38.

Brazilian MMA fighter Godofredo Pepey was arrested back in June after being accused of domestic violence towards his wife, Samara Mello.

Court records show that Pepey was charged with kidnapping, domestic violence by strangulation, witness tampering and battery against Mello.

Castro had been awaiting trial over the multiple charges, however, it was revealed on Monday that the former UFC fighter had passed away inside the prison unit.

The lawyer of Samara Mello, Castro's wife, released a statement, according to the Daily Star, which read: '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.'

Meanwhile, on Monday morning, another former UFC fighter, Rony Bezerra, took to Instagram to share the news of Pepey's death. The duo had a close friendship after both featuring on 'TUF Brazil' - a reality TV show produced by the UFC. 

Taking to Instagram early on Monday, Bezerra said: 'I'm here to bring some terrible news. Unfortunately, we lost our partner, Godfredo Pepey,' before going on to speculate over the cause of death, which has yet to be confirmed.

He added: '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'. He also posted a video of them smiling and having fun on his Instagram.

The harrowing twist in the story comes months after Pepey - real name Godofredo Castro de Oliveira - was arrested for allegedly striking his wife, Mello.

According to Combate, who reported the arrest at the time, Pepey left bruises on Mello's face and body after the attack and that he went on to 'destroy the house'.

The outlet further allege that he went and locked her inside the property and prevented her from using her phone in order to call for help. 

Police were called to the property by neighbors the next day. 

One month after his arrest, a GoFundMe was set up for Mello 'to help her get back on her feet during this hard time'.

In the description of the GoFundMe page, Mello said: 'My name is Samara Mello, I'm the wife of Godofredo Pepey, and I'm also a domestic violence survivor. 

'Domestic violence is real in the sports world, and it's still a taboo that few have the courage to mention in the combat sports community. We can't pretend it doesn't exist.

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

'When violence happens inside the home, it doesn't just destroy one family — it impacts the entire community. We need to stop treating this like it's a secret.

'I hope 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 just a statistic — and do far too little to change that'.

Pepey was born in Fortaleza, Brazil in 2003 and went on to compete 11 times in the UFC from between 2012-2018.

During his time in the organization, he fought some of the biggest names in the featherweight division; including Andre Fili, Shane Burgos and Mirsad Bektic. 

Pepey was released from the organization in 2018 and, since then, had three more fights, the last one in 2022. His professional MMA record is 14 wins and seven losses.

DailyMail.com has approached the Broward County Sheriff's Office and Pepey's attorney for comment.