Former UFC Star Reportedly Shot Three Times in Deadly Congo Ambush That Claimed Special Forces Veteran’s Life
An ambush in the Democratic Republic of Congo has reportedly left former UFC middleweight contender Tim Kennedy wounded, according to emerging reports.
Tim Kennedy was reportedly among three personnel caught in a firefight last month, according to the outlet. He suffered several gunshot wounds and was subsequently flown to the United States for medical care, with his condition described as stable.
Tim Kennedy Reportedly Shot Three Times in Deadly Congo Ambush
The incident reportedly unfolded on Sept. 17, according to MMA Weekly, when Kennedy and his team came under intense gunfire in the conflict-ridden Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Special Forces veteran reportedly suffered three gunshot wounds to his leg, triggering a gruelling eight-hour evacuation before he was airlifted to the United States for medical treatment. He is currently said to be in stable condition.
Although Tim Kennedy survived the deadly ambush, the attack proved fatal for former New Zealand Special Air Service (SAS) operator Justin Conaglen. Another unidentified member of the team was also reportedly wounded but managed to survive.
According to reports, Conaglen left the New Zealand military in August after taking unpaid leave in March. Speaking to the NZ Herald, war correspondent Robert Young Pelton said the contractors were tasked with protecting mining revenues, curbing smuggling and collecting taxes for the Congolese government before being caught in the reported ambush.
“He was doing contracting work,” former Delta Force operator Brent Tucker said of Kennedy while discussing the incident on his Tier1 Podcast on Thursday. “He was in a three-man element. There will be more information of this, but as of right now, we will call it an ambush.”
Motive Behind Shooting Still Unknown
The Delta Force operator revealed that the contractors had been shot multiple times and were forced to hold their ground for hours before help finally arrived. Who were they working for? That remains unclear, but multiple media reports suggest that Kennedy and his team may have been working for a private military contracting operation associated with Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater.
Other unconfirmed reports have linked the incident to a possible confrontation between Kennedy’s team and Russia’s Africa Corps, which replaced the Wagner Group’s operations across the continent. However, military officials have yet to verify these claims.
Meanwhile, neither Kennedy nor his representatives have addressed the reports, with operational secrecy surrounding private military contractors potentially explaining their silence.
Kennedy’s military career included service as a sniper with the Army Special Forces, with deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan. According to a July 2025 report by Military.com, he was also serving part-time with a Maryland National Guard special operations detachment as of last year.
Tim Kennedy's Time in MMA
As far as his MMA career, he finished with an 18-6 record, experiencing his fair share of highs and lows along the way. He suffered two narrow defeats against MMA legends Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza and Luke Rockhold during his time in Strikeforce.
Later, in the UFC, he came agonisingly close to finishing Yoel Romero late in the second round, only for ‘Soldier of God’ to knock him out in the third.
