Former UFC fighter Tim Kennedy is recovering at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after surviving three gunshot wounds in a deadly ambush in eastern Congo.
Kennedy, 47, spoke with Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) on Sunday at the Bethesda, Md. Facility. The congressman, himself a former Navy SEAL, immediately posted an update on X.
“I just spoke to my dear friend @TimKennedyMMA. That means he is not dead and that means I am thankful,” Van Orden wrote. “I am asking everyone to pray for his healing and that his wonderful family find Peace.”
Van Orden then quipped that Kennedy’s injury “in no, shape, or form, does this change my position” on the Army-Navy rivalry.
The ambush occurred on Sept. 17 in South Kivu province, where Kennedy was working for Vectus Global, a private security firm founded by Blackwater founder Erik Prince. Kennedy and other force members were traveling between locations when they came under attack.
At least 20 people were killed or wounded in the assault. Among the dead were at least seven Congolese and a former New Zealand Special Forces member. A Congolese security source said that villagers living near the attack site were likely among the casualties.
Kennedy was medevaced out of Congo, though the full extent of his injuries remains unclear. He has not yet spoken publicly about the attack or his recovery. His last social media post came on Sept. 25, amid his recovery, in which he reflected on parenthood.
Vectus Global was hired by Congo’s government last year to boost tax collection and curb mineral smuggling, but its role has since expanded to the battlefield. Prince’s contractors operated drones supporting the Congolese army’s push to retake the eastern city of Uvira from M23 rebels. In early 2026, after Washington helped broker a deal for M23 to withdraw from the strategic town, Vectus forces deployed there.
The ambush marked the first known deaths of Vectus Global contractors in Congo.
It has not been confirmed who was behind the ambush. Congolese government sources said that Rwandan forces supporting M23 — a rebel group that has seized large swaths of eastern Congo — may have located 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 that it supports the rebel group.
Since news of the ambush broke, the MMA world has rallied around Kennedy. UFC CEO Dana White said he hadn’t heard the details but hoped Kennedy “heals up and recovers.”
“Jesus Christ. I wish him well,” White said at a UFC press conference last week.
Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva called the ambush “terrible news” as he offered his prayers and support.
“Strength to you and your family. We’re all praying that you get well. God bless,” Silva wrote in an Instagram post.
Kennedy served as a Green Beret in Iraq and Afghanistan and fought professionally in Strikeforce and the UFC before retiring with an 18-6 record in 2017. The father of four later became a bestselling author and hosts a popular YouTube podcast, interviewing UFC fighters, veterans, cultural disruptors and others.
The region where Kennedy was wounded has been plagued by conflict for decades. In early 2025, the long-running conflict flared again as M23 fighters made swift gains across the east, which holds rich deposits of tantalum, gold, lithium and other minerals.
Kennedy remains at Walter Reed as his recovery continues.