Tim Kennedy, a former Army Green Beret and UFC fighter, is recovering in the United States after being wounded in an ambush last month in the Democratic Republic of Congo that killed or injured at least 20 people.
The 47-year-old is undergoing treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. He spoke there Sunday with Rep. Derrick Van Orden, a Wisconsin Republican, Reuters reported.
“I just spoke to my dear friend @TimKennedyMMA. That means he is not dead and that means I am thankful,” Van Orden, a former Navy SEAL, wrote on X.
He asked the public to pray for Kennedy’s recovery and for “Peace” for his family.
Van Orden also used the moment to joke that Kennedy’s wounds had not altered his allegiance in the Army-Navy rivalry.
“GO NAVY, BEAT ARMY!” he added.
Kennedy was working in Congo for Vectus Global, a private security company founded by Blackwater founder Erik Prince, when his team was attacked Sept. 17 while moving between locations in South Kivu province.
Eastern Congo has endured decades of violence involving armed groups, government forces and regional interests.
Kennedy sustained three gunshot wounds in the attack, while at least 20 people were reportedly killed or injured.
Those killed included at least seven Congolese nationals and a former member of New Zealand’s Special Forces.
A Congolese security official told Reuters that villagers near the ambush site were also likely among the casualties.
Kennedy was evacuated from Congo by medical transport. Authorities have not disclosed the full extent of his injuries.
The former UFC competitor has not publicly discussed the attack or his condition. His most recent social media post, published Sept. 25 during his recovery, focused on parenthood.
No group has claimed responsibility for the ambush. However, Congolese government sources told Reuters that Rwandan forces accused of supporting the M23 rebel movement may have tracked Kennedy’s team by following a surveillance drone operated by the unit.
Rwanda has consistently rejected claims that it backs M23, despite repeated accusations from the United Nations and Western governments.
The conflict intensified again in early 2025, when M23 fighters rapidly captured territory across eastern Congo, a region rich in tantalum, gold, lithium and other valuable minerals, according to Reuters.
Congo’s government hired Vectus Global last year to help increase tax revenue and combat mineral smuggling. The company’s responsibilities later expanded to include combat operations.
Contractors working for Prince used drones to support the Congolese army’s effort to retake Uvira, an eastern city held by M23 rebels. After Washington helped negotiate an agreement for M23 to leave the strategically important town in early 2026, Vectus personnel were sent there.
The attack was the first known incident in which Vectus Global contractors were killed in Congo, Reuters reported.
The Post has contacted the Pentagon, Van Orden and Vectus Global for comment.
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.
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 to Kennedy.
“Strength to you and your family. We’re all praying that you get well. God bless,” Silva wrote in an Instagram post.
With Post wires