Ex-UFC fighter Tim Kennedy shot three times in Congo ambush, treated at Walter Reed

Former UFC fighter and retired US Army Green Beret Tim Kennedy was shot three times in the leg in an ambush in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in mid-September and is being treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center near Washington, Reuters reported, citing three sources. Kennedy, 47, was working with Vectus Global, the security firm of Blackwater founder Erik Prince.

The news, first reported by Reuters on 10 October and carried by ARY News on Tuesday, explains weeks of silence from one of MMA's best-known podcasters.

What happened

• When: 17 September 2026.
• Where: South Kivu province, eastern Congo.
• What: a Vectus Global team was ambushed while travelling between locations. About 20 people were killed or wounded, according to two sources working with Congo's government, at least seven of them Congolese. A former member of New Zealand's special forces was among the dead.
• Kennedy: wounded with three gunshot wounds to the leg, now at Walter Reed.

Vectus had not lost anyone in Congo before this attack, a source with direct knowledge of the operation told Reuters. Several sources suggested Rwandan forces backing the M23 rebels were behind it; the Rwandan and Congolese governments and M23 did not respond to Reuters, and Vectus declined to comment. Walter Reed and the US State Department also declined to comment.

US Congressman Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin wrote over the weekend that he was "thankful" Kennedy was alive and asked people to "pray for his healing."

Why Vectus is in Congo

Prince's company was first hired to help Congo collect more revenue from its mineral reserves. Its role grew this year when its men deployed to the city of Uvira in South Kivu in January and February to help Congo's army hold it against Rwanda-backed rebels, Reuters reported.

Kennedy's fighting career

Kennedy went 18-6 in MMA. His best-known win was a knockout of Rafael Natal at UFC: Fight for the Troops 3 in 2013, and his last fight was a 2016 loss to Kelvin Gastelum. After retiring he became a popular podcaster and commentator on military life, with millions of followers.

The fight week ahead

Elsewhere in MMA, Michael "Venom" Page has left the UFC for KSI's Misfits (our report). Upcoming cards with start times in Pakistan time are on our living UFC schedule in Pakistan time page.