Godofredo Pepey

Godofredo Pepey was a Brazilian mixed martial artist who began his professional MMA career in 2003 at just fifteen years old. After several lengthy hiatuses early in his career, he returned to active competition and built an 8-0 undefeated record in regional promotions, earning a spot on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil in 2012. He advanced through the featherweight tournament but fell short in the finals, losing a unanimous decision to Rony Jason at UFC 147. That loss marked the beginning of his UFC tenure rather than the end of his run; he debuted in the promotion the same night and remained a card-carrying Octagon fighter for six years. Pepey was a submission-focused grappler who specialized in quick finishes and positional control on the mat. His signature tool was the triangle choke, and his most standout moment came when he caught Andre Fili in such a hold for a first-round victory in 2015, which UFC.com later ranked as the second-best submission of that year. That win capped a remarkable 12-month stretch in 2014-2015 in which he recorded three consecutive first-round finishes, earning three straight Performance of the Night bonuses and establishing himself as one of the most exciting submission artists in the featherweight division. However, Pepey's later UFC run saw him lose four of his final five fights in the promotion, including decisions to veteran strikers like Darren Elkins and Shane Burgos, and a first-round TKO loss to Mirsad Bektic in early 2018. The UFC released him that April, and he competed only three more times in smaller promotions before stepping away from active competition in 2022.