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

Ex-UFC fighter Godofredo “Pepey” Castro died of an apparent suicide in a Florida jail. 

He was 38 years old. 

Castro was found unresponsive while deputies at the Broward Sheriff’s Office main jail in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., were conducting their normal checks around 8 p.m., according to TMZ. 

Godofredo “Pepey” Castro weighs in during the UFC weigh-in at Paulo Sarasate Arena on June 7, 2013 in Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil. Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

A department spokesperson told MMA Junkie that he was discovered with a sheet around his neck.

Emergency personnel responded to the jail, and Castro was taken to Broward Health Medical Center, where he later died. 

Foul play is not suspected in his death, and an official cause of death is still pending.

Rony Mariano Bezerra, his former “TUF Brazil” teammate, had been one of the first to post about Castro’s passing on social media. 

“Unfortunately, he couldn’t handle the pressure and ended up taking his own life, may this serve as an example,” he wrote, according to TMZ. “Fighters can be very strong physically, but if their mind is unstable, they can end up committing an act like this.” 

Castro has been behind bars since his arrest on June 30 in Deerfield Beach, Fla., on domestic violence charges, which included kidnapping, domestic violence by strangulation, witness tampering and battery.

The former UFC fighter allegedly assaulted his wife in a vicious attack that started due to an argument over a “jealousy issue,” according to a police report. 

Castro allegedly dragged his wife back by her hair into their residence and choked her until she lost consciousness three times, the woman told police, before he threw her to the ground and “smashed her head into the ground repeatedly face down.” 

Police observed injuries to the woman’s face and redness around her neck, according to the report.

Milton Vieira kicks Godofredo “Pepey” Castro in their featherweight fight at the UFC on FX event on January 19, 2013. Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Castro pleaded not guilty to all charges, and the case was ongoing. 

Gaudenio Santiago, the attorney representing Castro’s wife, said in a statement to Brazilian media that “the death of someone in custody is a serious matter.” 

He also asked for “respect for the family” and “that you avoid malicious comments and speculation, so as not to cause further suffering,” Santiago said in a statement, according to the Daily Star. 

Castro was born in Brazil and competed 11 times in UFC after appearing on “The Ultimate Fighter Brazil, Season 1.” 

He was 5-6 in UFC and 13-7 overall as a pro.

His last professional fight was in February 2022.