Former UFC fighter Tim Kennedy recovers at Walter Reed after Congo ambush

Former Army Green Beret and retired mixed martial artist Tim Kennedy is recovering in the United States after being shot three times in a deadly ambush in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The New York Post, Military.com, and Sherdog all report that the 47 year old was wounded last month during an attack that left at least 20 people dead or injured. Kennedy is currently receiving medical care at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, according to the New York Post and Sherdog. [1][4][5]

United States Representative Derrick Van Orden, a Republican from Wisconsin and former Navy SEAL, spoke with Kennedy at the hospital on Sunday, the New York Post reported via Reuters. Van Orden posted on social media that Kennedy survived the attack and asked the public to pray for his recovery. Military.com added that Kennedy was working for private security forces linked to Blackwater founder Erik Prince at the time of the shooting. [1][4]

Kennedy worked as a professional fighter from 2001 until 2016 and competing in the UFC, Strikeforce, and the WEC. He is one of the few professional fighters to serve simultaneously in the United States Army. As FTMQ News reported earlier, the ambush targeted private security personnel tied to Prince and his company Vectus Global, which had previously assisted the Congolese army in securing the city of Uvira. [7][9]