Former Green Beret and UFC fighter Tim Kennedy was shot three times in an ambush in the Democratic Republic of Congo last month and is now recovering at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
Kennedy, 47, was working in eastern Congo for Vectus Global, the private security firm founded by Blackwater founder Erik Prince, when he and other team members were attacked while traveling between locations in South Kivu province on Sept. 17. The attack left at least 20 people dead or wounded, including at least seven Congolese personnel and a former New Zealand Special Forces member.
Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.), a former Navy SEAL, spoke with Kennedy by phone on Sunday and confirmed his friend was alive.
“I just spoke to my dear friend @TimKennedyMMA. That means he is not dead and that means I am thankful,” Van Orden wrote on X. “I am asking everyone to pray for his healing and that his wonderful family find Peace.”
Van Orden also added a lighter note, saying Kennedy’s injury “in no, shape, or form, does this change my position” on the Army-Navy rivalry.
Kennedy was medevaced out of Congo following the ambush. The full extent of his injuries has not been disclosed, and he has not yet spoken publicly about the attack or his recovery. His last social media post, on Sept. 25, was a reflection on parenthood.
A Congolese security source told Reuters that villagers living near the attack site were likely among the casualties. No group has claimed responsibility, but Congolese government sources told Reuters that Rwandan forces backing the M23 rebel group may have tracked Kennedy’s team by following a surveillance drone it was operating. Rwanda has repeatedly denied backing M23, despite accusations from the United Nations and Western governments.
South Kivu, in eastern Congo, has been racked by conflict for decades. M23 made rapid territorial gains across the region in early 2025, seizing ground rich in tantalum, gold, lithium and other minerals.
Vectus Global was brought in by Congo’s government last year to help boost tax collection and curb mineral smuggling, but its work has since expanded into combat support. Prince’s contractors ran drone operations backing the Congolese army’s push to retake the eastern city of Uvira from M23. Early this year, after Washington helped broker M23’s withdrawal from the town, Vectus forces deployed there. The Sept. 17 ambush marked the first known deaths of Vectus Global contractors in Congo.
Kennedy served as a Green Beret in Iraq and Afghanistan before fighting professionally in Strikeforce and the UFC, retiring in 2017 with an 18-6 record. He later became a bestselling author and hosts a popular YouTube podcast featuring fighters, veterans and other guests. He is a father of four.
Fighters and officials from the MMA world have offered support since news of the ambush broke. UFC CEO Dana White said at a press conference last week he hoped Kennedy “heals up and recovers,” adding, “Jesus Christ. I wish him well.” Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva wrote on Instagram: “Strength to you and your family. We’re all praying that you get well. God bless.”
