Godofredo Castro (born July 2, 1987), better known as Godofredo Pepey, is a Brazilian

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

who currently fights in the

lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) weight class in the sport of boxing. Notable lightweight boxe ...

division of

Brave Combat Federation BRAVE Combat Federation is a mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion based in the Middle East. The organization was established on 23 September 2016 by Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa. BRAVE Combat Federation features mixed martial artists from mor ...

. A professional MMA competitor since 2003, Pepey has also competed in the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

and was the

Featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, this ...

runner up on Globo's The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil.

Mixed martial arts career

Pepey got his start in martial arts training alongside his brother, Godofredo Claudio, a black belt in

Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

. Pepey had his first professional MMA fight in 2003, at the age of fifteen, winning the fight via submission (armbar) in the first round. Pepey took a three-year hiatus from fighting after making his debut. He returned to active competition in April 2006 with a win over William Couto via submission. Pepey took an 18-month layoff from fighting before coming back with a win over Jesse Santiago via first round submission. After going 3-0, Pepey again took a lengthy time off from MMA competition. He took nearly three years off for the second time in his career before coming back to earn his TKO victory over Nino Bala on February 6, 2010. Pepey continued fighting regularly, earning another stoppage win on July 3, 2010 in a rematch against Leandro Rodrigues Pontes after Leandro submitted due to strikes. He fought debuting fighter, Fabio Emanuel Rodrigues, at Combat Fighters Championship 1 on September 18, 2010. Pepey dominated the fight throughout the first round, and won the fight after Rorigues did not answer for the second round. Pepey earned two more first round submission wins, bringing his record to 8-0, before trying out for the first installment of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil.

The Ultimate Fighter

In March 2012, it was revealed that Pepey was selected to be a participant on '' The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil''. Pepey defeated Johnny Goncalves via submission in the first round to move into the ''Ultimate Fighter'' house, and become an official cast member. Pepey was selected as the sixth pick (twelfth overall) by

Vitor Belfort Vítor Vieira Belfort (; born 1 April 1977) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Heavyweight and Middleweight divisions. Belfort previously competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he fought in the Heavywe ...

, to be a part of Team Vitor. In the first quarter-final fight Pepey was selected to fight Wagner Campos. Pepey won via unanimous decision after two rounds. After Team Vitor went 7-1, Dana White demanded the teams being scrambled in order to make it a fair contest. Pepey was selected by Belfort to go to Team Wanderlei. Pepey was selected to fight

Strikeforce Strike Force may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * ''Strike Force'' (video game), a 1991 arcade game *'' Commandos: Strike Force'', a 2006 video game *'' Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce'', a 2009 video game *''Marvel Strike Force'', ...

veteran

Rodrigo Damm Rodrigo Damm (; born 3 February 1980) is a Brazilian retired professional mixed martial artist who last competed in the Lightweight division of the UFC. A professional since 2004, he also competed for World Victory Road, Strikeforce, Jungle Fi ...

in the first semi-final fight. However, after the doctors removed Damm from the competition, Pepey fought Marcos Vinicius. Pepey won the fight via second round submission, advancing him to the finals of the featherweight tournament.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Pepey made his UFC debut at

UFC 147 ''UFC 147: Silva vs. Franklin II'' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 23, 2012 at Mineirinho Arena in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Background The finals in the featherweight and middlewei ...

on June 23, 2012 against

Rony Jason Rony Mariano Bezerra (born March 21, 1984), better known as Rony Jason, is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor since 2006, B ...

to determine the featherweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. In his second fight for the promotion, Pepey faced

Milton Vieira Milton Vieira (born October 10, 1978) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently competing as a Featherweight. Vieira is widely credited as the inventor of the anaconda choke. Vieira is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Murilo Bustamante ...

on January 19, 2013 at

UFC on FX 7 The year 2013 is the 21st year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. 2013 started with ''UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Bisping''. 2013 also saw the introduction of the wome ...

. He won the fight via split decision. Pepey faced

Felipe Arantes Felipe Arantes (born 9 February 1988) is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist, who competed in the bantamweight and featherweight divisions. A professional MMA competitor since 2008, Arantes mostly fought in Brazil before signing with th ...

on June 8, 2013 at

UFC on Fuel TV 10 ''The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 2'' is an installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)-produced reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter''. This season consisted of 12 episodes and a live finale in Brazil. The season tournam ...

. He lost the fight via TKO in the first round. Pepey was expected to face

Sam Sicilia Samuel Travis Sicilia (born February 1, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the featherweight division for Bellator MMA. A professional competitor since 2007, Sicilia formerly competed for the UFC, a ...

on September 4, 2013 at UFC Fight Night 28. However, Sicilia pulled out of the bout citing an injury and was replaced by

. The bout with Sicilia eventually took place on November 9, 2013 at

UFC Fight Night 32 ''UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson 2'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 32'') was a mixed martial arts event held on November 9, 2013, at the Goiânia Arena in Goiânia, Brazil. The event was broadcast live on Fox Sports 1. Background Th ...

. Pepey lost the fight via TKO in the first round. Pepey faced promotional newcomer Noad Lahat on March 23, 2014 at

UFC Fight Night 38 ''UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Henderson 2'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 38'') was a mixed martial arts event held on March 23, 2014, at the Ginásio Nélio Dias in Natal, Brazil. Background The event was headlined by the anticipated rematch ...

. He won the fight in spectacular fashion by landing a flying knee in the first round for a knockout. The win also earned Pepey his first ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award. Pepey faced

Dashon Johnson Dashon Johnson (born January 25, 1988) is an American professional boxer, mixed martial artist, and former North American Boxing Association (NABA) title super middleweight champion. Johnson is from Fontana, California. Boxing career NABA title ...

UFC Fight Night 51 ''UFC Fight Night: Bigfoot vs. Arlovski'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 51'') was a mixed martial arts event held on September 13, 2014, at Ginásio Nilson Nelson in Brasília, Brazil. Background The event in Brasília was the first that the ...

on September 13, 2014. He won the fight via submission in the first round. This win also earned him his second consecutive ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award. Pepey faced

Andre Fili Andre Riley Givens (born June 25, 1990) better known by the name Andre Fili is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Featherweight division. Fili is of Samoan and Native Hawaiian descent and is currently signed with the Ultimate ...

on March 21, 2015 at

UFC Fight Night 62 ''UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. LaFlare'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 62'') was a mixed martial arts event held on March 21, 2015, at the Ginásio do Maracanãzinho in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Background After hosting a PPV event at the venue a ...

. He won the fight via submission in the first round with a triangle choke. This win earned him his third straight ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award. Pepey next faced

Darren Elkins Darren Elkins (born May 16, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he fights in the Featherweight division. Elkins is known for his toughness and comeback victories. Background Elkins was bor ...

on July 23, 2016 at

UFC on Fox 20 ''UFC on Fox: Holm vs. Shevchenko'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 20'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on July 23, 2016, at United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Background The event was headlined b ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Pepey faced

Mike De La Torre Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and document ...

on September 24, 2016 at

UFC Fight Night 95 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. He won the fight via submission in the first round. Pepey faced

Shane Burgos Shane may refer to: People * Shane (actress) (born 1969), American pornographic actress * Shane (New Zealand singer) (born 1946) * iamnotshane (born 1995), formerly known as Shane, American singer * Shane (name), a masculine given name and a sur ...

on July 22, 2017 at

UFC on Fox 25 ''UFC on Fox: Weidman vs. Gastelum'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 25'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on July 22, 2017 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. Backgroun ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Pepey faced

Mirsad Bektić Mirsad Bektić (born February 16, 1991) is a Bosnian-born American retired professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Background Mirsad Bektić was born on February ...

on January 27, 2018 at

UFC on Fox 27 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. He lost the fight via technical knock out. On April 4, 2018, it was announced Pepey was a free agent after the UFC opted not to renew his contract.

Post-UFC career

After leaving the UFC, Pepey fought Alex Torres at Brave CF 15 on September 7, 2018. Pepey won the fight via armbar in the first round. Pepey faced Abdoul Abdouraguimov on February 3, 2022 at Ares FC 3 for the AFC Welterweight Championship. He lost the bout via inverted triangle choke in the first round.

Championships and achievements

Mixed martial arts

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

** The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil Featherweight Tournament Runner Up **

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

(Three times)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 14–7 (1) , Abdoul Abdouraguimov , Submission (inverted triangle choke) , Ares FC 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:06 ,

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, France , , - , NC , align=center, 14–6 (1) , Pavel Gordeev , No Contest (illegal knee) , RCC Intro 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

Ekaterinburg Yekaterinburg ( ; rus, Екатеринбург, p=jɪkətʲɪrʲɪnˈburk), alternatively romanized as Ekaterinburg and formerly known as Sverdlovsk ( rus, Свердло́вск, , svʲɪrˈdlofsk, 1924–1991), is a city and the administrat ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 14–6 , Alex Torres , Submission (armbar) , Brave CF 15 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:50 ,

Bucaramanga Bucaramanga () is the capital and largest city of the department of Santander, Colombia. Bucaramanga has the fifth-largest economy by GDP in Colombia, has the lowest unemployment rate and has the ninth-largest population in the country, with 68 ...

, Colombia , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–6 ,

, TKO (body punch) , UFC on Fox: Jacaré vs. Brunson 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:47 ,

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–5 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on Fox: Weidman vs. Gastelum , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Uniondale, New York Uniondale is a census-designated place (CDP), as well as a suburb in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, New York (state), New York, on Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead, New York, Town of Hempstead. The population was 32,473 at the 2020 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–4 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Cyborg vs. Länsberg , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:03 ,

Brasília Brasília (; ) is the federal capital of Brazil and seat of government of the Federal District. The city is located at the top of the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West region. It was founded by President Juscelino Kubitsche ...

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–4 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on Fox: Holm vs. Shevchenko , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–3 ,

, Submission (flying triangle choke) , UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. LaFlare , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:14 ,

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 11–3 ,

, Submission (triangle armbar) , UFC Fight Night: Bigfoot vs. Arlovski , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:29 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 10–3 ,

Noad Lahat Noadya Lahat ( he, נועד להט; born June 8, 1984), also known by the nickname Neo, is an Israeli mixed martial artist who competes in the Featherweight division. A professional since 2008, he is the second Israeli to ever fight in the UFC an ...

, KO (flying knee) , UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Henderson 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:39 ,

Natal NATAL or Natal may refer to: Places * Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, a city in Brazil * Natal, South Africa (disambiguation), a region in South Africa ** Natalia Republic, a former country (1839–1843) ** Colony of Natal, a former British colony ( ...

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–3 ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:42 ,

Goiânia Goiânia (; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Goiás. With a population of 1,536,097, it is the second-largest city in the Central-West Region and the 10th-largest in the country. Its metropolitan area has a population ...

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–2 ,

, TKO (elbows and punches) , UFC on Fuel TV: Nogueira vs. Werdum , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:32 ,

Fortaleza Fortaleza (, locally , Portuguese for ''Fortress'') is the state capital of Ceará, located in Northeastern Brazil. It belongs to the Metropolitan mesoregion of Fortaleza and microregion of Fortaleza. It is Brazil's 5th largest city and the t ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 ,

, Decision (split) , UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Bisping , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Belo Horizonte Belo Horizonte (, ; ) is the sixth-largest city in Brazil, with a population around 2.7 million and with a metropolitan area of 6 million people. It is the 13th-largest city in South America and the 18th-largest in the Americas. The metropol ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 , Kelles Albuquerque , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Ceará Fighters 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:29 ,

Juazeiro do Norte Juazeiro do Norte is a city in the state of Ceará state in northeastern Brazil. It is located 491 km south of the state capital Fortaleza in the semiarid sertão. The municipality has a population of 276,264 (2020 official estimate) and cov ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Leandro Tavares , Submission (armbar) , Champions Night 15 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:03 ,

São Benedito São Benedito is a municipality in the state of Ceará in the Northeast region of Brazil. Transportation The city is served by Walfrido Salmito de Almeida Airport. See also *List of municipalities in Ceará This is a list of the municipali ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Fabio Emanuel , TKO (retirement) , Ceará Fighters 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Leandro Pontes , TKO (body punches) , Sertao Fights 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:44 ,

Tauá Tauá is a municipality in the state of Ceará in the Northeast region of Brazil. In 2020 it had an estimated population of 59,062 people. It is one of the largest municipalities in the state, with an area of . History The toponymy of Tauá ref ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Nino Bala , TKO (punches) , Champions Night 13 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:06 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Jesse Santiago , Submission (armbar) , Rino's FC 4 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , William Couto , Submission (guillotine choke) , Tridenium Combat 1 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:03 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Leandro Pontes , Submission (armbar) , Shock FC 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:11 ,

, Brazil ,

Mixed martial arts exhibition record

, - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Marcos Vinicius , Submission (armbar) , The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil , (airdate) , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:00 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Wagner Campos , Decision (unanimous) , The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil , (airdate) , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Jhonny Gonçalves , Submission (triangle choke) , The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil , (airdate) , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:00 ,

, Brazil , , -

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pepey, Godofredo 1987 births Living people Brazilian male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters Sportspeople from Fortaleza