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Former UFC fighter Tim Kennedy has been forced to apologize after lying about receiving a special military award, admitting he 'disrespected' his fellow soldiers and their loved ones.
Kennedy, who won 18 of his 24 professional mixed martial arts contests, first joined the US Army back in 2004 and worked his way up to becoming a Green Beret sniper with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
After his active duty service, he transitioned to the Texas Army National Guard in 2009 before being reenlisted to the Special Forces eight years later.
However, Kennedy's military career is now the subject of fierce controversy after retired Green Beret Nathan Cornacchia exposed him for lying about winning a Bronze Star with Valor - awarded to members of the US Armed Forces for acts of heroism and bravery - back in 2017.
Cornacchia, who runs a popular YouTube channel with 183,000 subscribers, shared several videos of the ex-MMA pro claiming that he received the prestigious honor eight years ago for 'shooting at a bad guy'.
The YouTuber and veteran - who earned an Army Commedation Medal for Valor, which is one step below the honor Kennedy claimed to have received - accused his fellow soldier of lying about the award as well as his 'countless' trips to Iraq and Afghanistan and being 'surrounded by 400 members of the Taliban'.
Ex-UFC fighter Tim Kennedy has apologized after lying about receiving a special military award
Kennedy, who won 18 of his 24 MMA contests, admitted he 'misstated' that he won a Bronze Star with Valor - awarded to members of the US Armed Forces for acts of heroism and bravery
And amid scrutiny over his military achievements, Kennedy took to Instagram on Wednesday to apologize for 'misstating' certain aspects of it.
'I want to take full and unequivocal responsibility for a serious mistake,' the 45-year-old wrote on Instagram. 'Over the years, I made public statements and gave interviews in which I unintentionally misstated aspects of my military service.
'Most notably, I implied directly or indirectly that I had been awarded the Bronze Star with Valor. That is not true, and there is no excuse for it. I never received that honor, and I deeply regret ever suggesting otherwise.
'That kind of recognition is sacred. It represents extraordinary courage under fire acts that risk or cost lives. To those who truly earned it, and to their families and brothers-in-arms, I offer my sincere and direct apology. What I said disrespected your service, and I take full ownership of that.
'I was young when I stepped into the public eye, and while I wasn't prepared for the scrutiny or pressure that came with it, that doesn't absolve me. I should have known better. Integrity is not situational, and I failed to uphold the standards I claimed to represent.
'To the military and veteran community, especially those who've served in combat or lost people they love. I am deeply sorry. I know I've let many of you down. You had every right to expect more from me, and I didn't live up to that.'
