Former
Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight Tim Kennedy
was reportedly wounded in an ambush in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo.
According to MMA Weekly, Kennedy was part of a three-man
team that came under fire last month. The outlet reported that he
sustained multiple gunshot wounds before being evacuated to the
United States for treatment. It described his condition as
stable.
Tim Kennedy reportedly shot three times in Congo attack that
killed Justin Conaglen
Kennedy, who competed professionally in mixed martial arts from
2001 to 2016, was reportedly shot during an operation in the
Central African country, according to The New Zealand Herald. The purpose of his
reported presence there remains unclear.
The outlet cited speculation linking the operation to a private
security company associated with Blackwater founder Erik Prince and
a possible confrontation with Russia’s Africa Corps. Neither claim
has been confirmed.
MMA Weekly reported that the attack occurred Sept. 17 and that
Kennedy was shot three times in the leg. According to its account,
the team’s evacuation took nearly eight hours.
The outlet reported that Kennedy was medically evacuated to the
United States, that former New Zealand Special Air Service soldier
Justin Conaglen was killed in the ambush and that a third,
unidentified team member was wounded.