Former UFC fighter and U.S. Army Special Forces veteran Tim Kennedy was shot three times in the leg during an ambush while working a private security contract in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
According to a report by Reuters, Kennedy was working with Vectus Global, a private security and logistics company founded by Erik Prince, who also established the controversial private military contractor Blackwater.
The attack reportedly happened in mid-September, when enemy forces ambushed Kennedy’s team. The incident left 20 people dead or injured, including seven fatalities. Kennedy survived the attack and returned to the United States, where he is receiving treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland.
Vectus Global reportedly secured a five-year contract worth between $300 million and $400 million to protect mining operations in the Central African country. The company has also reportedly entered negotiations to provide technical and logistical support for the Congolese military’s aircraft and drones.
The company’s reported work in the country includes protecting mining revenue, combating smuggling and helping the Congolese government collect taxes. However, the circumstances surrounding the ambush remain unclear, and Kennedy has yet to publicly address the incident.
The Congolese government reportedly suspects that Rwandan-backed rebel forces may have carried out the attack.
Kennedy, 47, has a long military and combat sports background. The former Green Beret served in Iraq and Afghanistan before building a career in mixed martial arts.
He competed in both Strikeforce and the UFC, challenging for the Strikeforce middleweight title twice but failing to win the championship on either occasion. Kennedy retired from MMA in 2017.
Although Kennedy has not provided a public update on his condition, his official Instagram account has continued to feature posts since the reported attack. MMA fans have also flooded his recent posts with messages of support and prayers following news of his hospitalisation.
