Livinha Souza was arrested in Araraquara, Brazil, accused of being involved in drug trafficking and Illegal possession of a weapon. Souza is a former UFC fighter and Invicta FC champion who’s currently eligible to be picked at tonight’s Global Fight League 2025 draft.
According to the local police, cops received an anonymous call and went to her house with a search warrant on Thursday morning to find a .380 pistol, 59 bullets, marijuana, and steroids. Souza was detained.
Souza denies involvement with drug trafficking, her lawyer Glaucio Dalponte Mattiole told MMA Fighting on Friday.
“The search and seizure operation carried out yesterday at the home of Livia was based on alleged anonymous complaints,” Mattiole wrote in a statement provided to MMA Fighting. “During the operation, a quantity of marijuana was seized, a substance that she uses, as publicly declared previously. It’s worth noting that Livia was the first UFC fighter in Brazil to be sponsored by a CBD company and is a public defender of the legalization of marijuana. Lívia is at the disposal of the courts and has already provided the necessary clarifications, reaffirming her interest in demonstrating that she is a user of the substance.
“Regarding the firearm mentioned, we clarify that it was acquired in the past. However, due to a series of setbacks, it has not yet been possible to regularize its possession. The fighter will continue to cooperate fully with the authorities, trusting that the investigation of the facts will allow us to conclude, unequivocally, that there are no irregularities or crimes attributed to her by the Civil Police.”
Souza (14-4) has not fought since October 2021, when she lost a decision to Randa Markos in her final UFC bout. Souza went 3-3 in the UFC, capturing wins over Ashley Yoder, Sarah Frota, and Alex Chambers. Souza won the Invicta FC title by tapping out Katja Kankaanpaa in 2015 and defended it once over DeAnna Bennett before losing it to Angela Hill.
