Update given on former UFC fighter 'wounded' in deadly Africa attack which killed or injured 20

Derrick van Orden, a Republican member of the US House of Representatives, says he has been in contact with Tim Kennedy after the former UFC fighter was shot three times in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

According to Reuters, 20 people were injured or killed during a deadly ambush by enemy forces in the African country. The ambush is said to have occurred in mid-September, as per 'sources close to the government'.

Kennedy was reportedly out in DR Congo working for Vectus Global, a private military and security company led by close Donald Trump ally Erik Prince. It is claimed that the ex-UFC fighter and other hired forces were 'working on an operation to protect mining revenues, combat smuggling and collect taxes for the Congolese government' when the attack happened.

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Republican Rep. reveals Tim Kennedy conversation

Van Orden, who is a US House Representative from Wisconsin's third district, says he has been in communication with the 46-year-old and that he is currently 'healing'.

"I just spoke to my dear friend Tim Kennedy," Van Orden wrote on his Twitter account, which has over 88,000 followers. "That means he is not dead and that means I am thankful.

"I am asking everyone to pray for his healing and that his wonderful family find Peace."

Details on exactly why Kennedy, who had four fights in the UFC between 2013 and 2016, was in DR Congo at the time of the attack are as yet unclear, as well as the full extent of his injuries.

Reuters add that Kennedy is said to have been shot three times in the leg and was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington, where he remains in a stable condition as of Friday.

US President Trump is a regular visitor to Walter Reed and conducted physical examinations at the facility on at least two occasions earlier this year.

Who is Tim Kennedy?

As well as his mixed martial arts career, Kennedy was also enlisted as part of the US Army between 2004 and 2009, and re-enlisted once his fighting career came to an end in 2017.

Tim Kennedy pictured before his final UFC fight in 2016 (Image: Getty)

Now 46, Kennedy has a YouTube channel where he posts videos about a range of topics, from cooking tutorials to the armed forces. He currently has over 264,000 subscribers.

He did post on his Instagram account on September 25 - eight days after he is reported to have been a victim of the ambush in DR Congo, in which he posted the lyrics to a song titled 'Don't Turn The Page' directed towards his children.

In his two UFC fights in 2013, Kennedy defeated Roger Gracie by unanimous decision at UFC 162, before a KO victory over Rafael Natal. He also defeated Michael Bisping during an episode of The Ultimate Fighter.

His next ventures were less successful; he lost via TKO to Yoel Romero in September 2014, before another TKO loss to Kelvin Gastelum in what was his fourth and final UFC fight in December 2016.