Former UFC fighter Tim Kennedy reportedly shot in deadly Congo ambush

Former UFC middleweight fighter Tim Kennedy was reportedly shot and wounded during an ambush in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to reports from MMA Weekly and The New Zealand Herald, Kennedy's three-man team came under fire on Sept. 17 during an operation in the country. Kennedy reportedly sustained three gunshot wounds to his leg before undergoing an eight-hour evacuation to the United States, where his condition is described as stable.

Former New Zealand Special Air Service soldier Justin Conaglen was killed in the incident. Kennedy competed professionally in mixed martial arts from 2001 to 2016. While reports noted unconfirmed speculation linking the mission to a private security firm associated with Erik Prince or Russia's Africa Corps, the official purpose of the team's presence in the Central African nation remains unconfirmed.