Ex-UFC Fighter Tim Kennedy Survives Being Shot in Congo Ambush

TMZ and multiple MMA outlets published new details on October 10, 2026 about the September 17 ambush in South Kivu province, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, that left former UFC fighter and U.S. Army Green Beret Tim Kennedy with three bullet wounds to his leg. Kennedy, 46, was working under contract with Vectus Global, a private security and logistics firm founded by Blackwater founder Erik Prince, on a ground-clearing operation. His unit had been tasked by the Congolese government with protecting mining revenue, combating smuggling and collecting mineral taxes in a province where troops have been battling the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group. The attack killed former New Zealand SAS member Lance Corporal Justin Conaglen and resulted in around 20 casualties across the engagement, including at least seven Congolese nationals. Kennedy was evacuated to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland for treatment and is reportedly in stable condition. The former 'Deadliest Warrior' host had previously fought twelve times inside the UFC octagon. His survival story blew up on sports and celebrity sites across the United States, New Zealand and Africa, drawing fresh scrutiny of private military contractors operating in the DRC.