Driver Who Killed Former UFC Fighter Arrested, Confesses To Role

According to a report by the Brazilian website UOL, Jefferson Roger Maciel Barata has been arrested and confessed to hitting former UFC fighter Rodrigo de Lima recently. The incident resulted in de Lima passing away.

Barata claims in the police report that de Lima punched him after he requested the vehicles occupants "bring the tone of their voices down." Shortly after de Lima and the others left the vehicle, Barata returned and claims he intended to only "scare" them when he struck the fighter. He will be charged with murder.

"I've always thought of a way to raise my family and not let my children grow up without a father," Barata said. "I feel for his family, I regret it, I've already asked God for forgiveness. It was one of the things I feared the most: Taking someone's life. I started working in this job to have more time in the church, I became a director for the youth, teaching music in the church, and this ended up happening."

De Lima went 9-3-1 in his MMA career, which included two losses to Neil Magny and Efrain Escudero while competing for the UFC. His last fight was in June when he submitted Luiz Fabiano.