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Glenn's Show Prep

UFC Fighter Tim Kennedy Promises to Match Glenn's $50,000 Offer to the Deadspin Fight Winner

January 26, 2017
Ted Tuttle

Editor

Deadspin's trash-talking editor-in-chief may have just talked himself into getting a serious beating.

After lashing out at Ted Cruz in his magazine, Tim Marchman took to Twitter dumping on the Texas senator's supporters and challenging anyone with enough guts to a fight:

That was a big mistake. It wasn't long before Army Ranger turned UFC fighter Tim Kennedy accepted the challenge:

Marchman has suddenly gone silent. But he won't be able to hide forever. Glenn upped the game by promising $50,000 of his own money to the winner's charity of choice.

Kennedy called in to Glenn's radio program Thursday to share where he would want the donated funds to go, assuming he won the fight. He then added a promise of his own.

"Obviously mine---the nonprofit---is going to go to a military/law enforcement-supporting charity. That's where mine is going to go," he said. "And, you know, I'll match yours, Glenn. That's coming from me, Tim Kennedy, as a person, supporting this cause as well."

Watch the clip or read the full segment transcript below.

GLENN: Oh, I love this. Okay. So you're going to love it as well. Ashley Feinberg, she's a writer for Deadspin. She was owned by Ted Cruz two times this week, when she was making fun of Ted Cruz and his basketball skills. And Ted Cruz tweeted back a picture of him -- or, a guy who kind of looked like a young him, a Duke basketball player, and just didn't say anything. Just let it speak for itself.

STU: He said, "What do I win?" He said, "What do I win?"

GLENN: Yeah, lets it speak for itself.

Then Tim Marchman. Tim Marchman is the editor for Deadspin. He writes, "Amazing that low testosterone Ted Cruz enthusiasts are comfortable haranguing Ashley Feinberg, but not me, Deadspin's actual editor. Ted Cruz is a pathetic, expletive. His social media intern's joke was basic, and complaints should go to Marchman at Deadspin.com. Unsurprising that not one Ted Cruz-supporting kuck Twitter user is willing to face me in the UFC octagon. Hundreds of dudes who can't do pushups are tweeting at me, but literally not one has had the brass to send me an email."

PAT: What? Unbelievable.

GLENN: Well, that's when Ted Kennedy -- or, Tim Kennedy does it. He writes --

STU: Ted Kennedy would have been a real story.

GLENN: That would have been a big story, yeah.

(laughter)

STU: Wow. We should have led the show if Ted Kennedy tweeted this one.

GLENN: All right.

He says: I'm your huckleberry. I also take note that you are a pathetic cyber bully. My email is Tim@RangerUp.com. Uh-oh, RangerUp.com.

STU: Uh-oh. Uh-oh.

GLENN: I'm available at your leisure.

So Tim has said: Any time, anyplace, I will meet you.

So I'm going to -- we have Tim on the phone now. Tim, how are you, sir?

TIM: I am spectacular. Good morning.

GLENN: So, Tim, you are Special Forces, a ranger?

TIM: Yes and yes.

GLENN: Yes. And you are an MMA fighter?

TIM: Yes. I'm also -- I've been a special MMA fighter for the past 20 years. And I think for the past ten I've been ranked in the top ten.

PAT: That is --

GLENN: And you're a Ted Cruz fan?

TIM: Yeah. He's a -- he's a fellow conservative from my home state of Texas.

GLENN: Yeah.

TIM: And while we don't agree on all things, I've actually gone to bat for him a couple of times on social media. So, yeah.

GLENN: So here's what I would like to do -- because you're ready to take what's-his-face up?

JEFFY: Yeah, whatever his face's name is.

GLENN: Whatever goes with that face. The editor of Deadspin. You're willing to take him up and fight him anytime, anywhere.

TIM: Yeah. I mean, first, let's look at how pathetic it is that we got to this point. A journalist -- that's an editor for a marginally successful online vlog sphere goes and has to resort to violence, typical of kind of anybody that doesn't have the aptitude to have real rational, logical argument and discussion or have a sense of humor.

So now here we are talking about actually doing a fist fight. And that was an escalation on his part after, I think, a kind of clever and witty response by Ted Cruz's intern. Such a pathetic state that we're in that the editor of Deadspin is going and saying profanity online and lobbing these unfounded accusations and saying really these ugly things just because he can't do anything else.

GLENN: So here's what I would like to offer, Tim. I would like to offer you and the editor of Deadspin to come on in and have a real conversation. And that's nice. We could have a real conversation, and you can discuss things and see if we can be civil.

PAT: Then beat the hell out of him.

GLENN: And then I'm offering a 50,000-dollar prize to the winner for their charity -- charity of their choice, either TheBlaze -- I haven't asked TheBlaze. But either TheBlaze or GlennBeck.com will do pay-per-view. Every dime will go to charity.

(chuckling)

GLENN: And the charity of whoever the winner is, their choice. So if you wants to give it all to Planned Parenthood, I guess he can because I'm going to put my money on Tim, and Tim will win and be able to take it to whatever charity you would like to give it to.

TIM: Yeah. I, of course, am fine with any of that.

You know, things have changed. I normally fight at 180 pounds middleweight. But right now I'm 225 pounds, working full-time as a Special Forces guy again, so as a Green Beret. So my charity would really love that generous contribution. And I appreciate that, you know, from Tim for making that happen.

Yeah, of course. I would love to, you know, at, again, his convenience.

GLENN: Okay. So what I would like all of the audience to do, and we'll reach out this morning as a company to Deadspin. But I'd like everybody to tweet now that we have put a 50,000-dollar prize for a charity of their choice, and we'll do pay-per-view. That will do at least another 50 grand. And we'll do pay-per-view. So it will probably be about 100,000-dollar prize, goes to the charity of be sure choice. That's a great, great offer. And I'd love to have a conversation first, if we can have a civil conversation between the two of you. And then if not, we'll just settle it --

JEFFY: Step into TheBlaze octagon.

GLENN: Yes.

STU: Civil conversation with a Deadspin editor. Good luck with that one.

GLENN: Yeah, I figure it won't -- but let's see if he can grow up and actually have a conversation.

STU: Yeah.

GLENN: And then they can get into the octagon and Tim can --

TIM: While I'm not hoping for violence, you know, having been in violent things my entire adult life, I think you're kind of being kind, Glenn. I think unnecessarily. What happened was we had a witty kind of comical satire response from Ted Cruz. And then a dude -- a really -- a nobody gets online and says a whole bunch of ugly things, cussing, throwing accusations, you know, insinuating all sorts of nastiness. And then ultimately threatens people with violence.

PAT: Uh-huh.

TIM: And now we're saying, "Okay. Let's go back to a civil conversation. Let this be the embodiment of kind of who the adults are in this conversation."

Okay. We'll give him that out. Okay. Tim, I would love for your rudeness yesterday, to give you what you asked for. But we all know you don't want to do that.

GLENN: No, wait. Wait. Wait. No, I'm not giving him the -- no, the conversation is part of the deal. If he wants to skip right to the beating, he can. But I as a guy who has turned over a new life would love to have the conversation first.

STU: Can we have the conversation later when he's writhing in pain? Where he has to grown in pain?

GLENN: Well, maybe he beats Tim.

STU: Well, sure, that's possible.

GLENN: He's also a fighter, is he not?

TIM: No, I think he's a fighter of pointless causes with unfounded irrational logic. Not an actual fighter.

(chuckling)

GLENN: Well, those sounds like fighting words to me. That sounds like something that he at Deadspin could not just let sit there on the counter and just go unanswered. Don't you think, Stu? Don't you think, Pat? His honor is at stake.

PAT: No, I think his honor is at stake now. He's got to step out now.

GLENN: Yeah. His honor is at stake.

Hey, Tim --

TIM: You know, I'm not a cosmopolitan. I'm not a fellow HEP statistican. You know, I'm obviously not as capable of understanding the complex concepts of, you know, this thing we have of our republic, which apparently he's the only person that understands. And then if anybody agrees with him, he just says whatever he wants with no repercussions. But I would be fine to have a conversation before or after --

(chuckling)

GLENN: The contest. Okay. So we're offering a guaranteed $50,000. TheBlaze cameras will be there, or the Glenn Beck Mercury cameras will be there if TheBlaze doesn't want to do it. But I'm sure they will. We'll cover it. It will make it an event. We'll make it pay-per-view. Every dime will go right to the charity. So who knows how much you could make.

So I want everybody to tweet to Deadspin today. And what's his name again?

PAT: Tim Marchman.

GLENN: Tim Marchman. He says that everything should be going to -- is it just Tim Marchman? Because he said, it should be go to -- what? Yes, it should be going to Twitter.com/TimMarchman, slash, something or other. I want to get it right --

PAT: That will get them right there. Slash, something or other.

STU: It's got to be just --

GLENN: Hang on. It's just got to be Tim Marchman. Just do @TimMarchman.

PAT: It's @TimMarchman.

GLENN: So do TimMarchman and let him know that his charity could be very, very wealthy if he just wants to complete what he started with his mouth, if he would just like to cash the check that his mouth just wrote.

TIM: I will -- you know, obviously mine -- you know, the nonprofit is going to go to a military/law enforcement-supporting charity. That's where mine is going to go. And I'll match yours, Glenn. So that's coming from me. Tim Kennedy as a person, supporting this cause as well.

PAT: Wow. Wow.

GLENN: So wait. Wait. Wait. I'm offering 50,000. You're offering 50,000 as well?

TIM: Yes. Yes, I am.

GLENN: Holy cow.

PAT: Wow.

GLENN: So there's $100,000 --

PAT: And then with the pay-per-view, will be a lot more than that.

GLENN: Yeah, we could make this into a big deal.

PAT: Nice.

GLENN: We could -- there's a possibility of making this into a quarter of a million dollar fight.

PAT: Uh-huh.

GLENN: And I'm sure Planned Parenthood would like some of that money, Mr. Marchman. If you can get into the ring with Tim and beat him, you could make a lot of money. I don't want to write a check to Planned Parenthood. Tim, do you want to write a check to Planned Parenthood.

TIM: While I believe women's issues are important and their reproductive protection and right to contraceptives, not overly thrilled with the prospect of writing the check to Planned Parenthood.

GLENN: Yes, thank you very -- what a -- boy, what a nice way --

STU: Great. Yeah, great effort there.

PAT: That's great.

GLENN: Yes, thank you. A lover, not just a fighter.

Okay. Tim, thank you very much. We'll be in touch. And we'll see what Mr. Marchman says.

TIM: Yeah, I'm not hard to find. Unless you're ISIS, then it's a rough night.

(laughter)

GLENN: Thanks a lot, Tim. I appreciate it. Thanks for your service, by the way.

JEFFY: Man, wow, you guys have won me over. I think I'm going to donate some of my money too today. Fifty cents. Fifty cents.

GLENN: Really? You couldn't even do --

JEFFY: He's going to do 50 --

GLENN: You couldn't even do $50.

JEFFY: I can't do that.

GLENN: Right.

STU: Percentage-wise, that would --

GLENN: He's done 50,000. (?) 100,000.50.

STU: That's a large donation.

GLENN: Are you guys going to step to the plate on this?

STU: Well, sure. Yeah.

JEFFY: You think you can maybe match me?

STU: I will match Jeffy. I will match Jeffy right now.

GLENN: Wow. Wow. Don't go overboard here. Don't go overboard.

PAT: With the -- this is -- with the pay-per-view, this is going to be --

GLENN: You know, we should take calls. If anybody wants to match that -- if anybody wants to come and not match his, but if anybody wants to come in -- anybody wants to come in --

STU: And match 50,000-dollar donations?

GLENN: Or no. $1,000. Let's see how much money we could raise for charity. Because I think with the pay-per-view -- how many people do you think -- if we really promoted this, we could get at least 100,000 people, right?

PAT: Oh.

JEFFY: I hope think so.

GLENN: So if we did 100,000 people and say it was even $10. I mean, you're making a lot of money.

STU: Guaranteed the guy doesn't even show up.

PAT: I know. We should probably get the commitment first from Tim Marchman, shouldn't we?

GLENN: I'm not saying sell the deal. Anybody who wants to make the commitment. Let's get -- the prize money is already up to 100,000.

JEFFY: And a dollar.

GLENN: And a dollar. So $100,000 is not something to laugh at. That's not, I'm going to prove -- that's $100,000 for charity.

STU: I have no idea if Tim Marchman cares about donating to charity. He may. I just don't know.

GLENN: Oh, if this guy has a single noodle in his bowl, this guy is -- wants me to write a check to Planned Parenthood.

STU: Or something maybe --

GLENN: Yeah, The Communists of America. He wants me to write that check. So I can't imagine how he's -- how he's going to turn that down, unless he's afraid.

STU: It's been a rough year for the good old Gawker media group, hasn't it?

GLENN: It really has.

STU: Jeez.

GLENN: It hasn't gone well for loudmouths who -- who want to push people over the edge.

STU: Well, it's funny, the Cruz thing (?) of the duke basketball player, with a funny message. And then they responded with eat S.

GLENN: Yeah. Yeah. Which was very clever.

STU: Which was very clever. However, the last time they did that, they did that to someone else when they complimented one of their stories. (?) that person became president of the United States in November, or just the other day actually.

Without civic action, America faces collapse

JEFF KOWALSKY / Contributor | Getty Images

Every vote, jury duty, and act of engagement is civics in action, not theory. The republic survives only when citizens embrace responsibility.

I slept through high school civics class. I memorized the three branches of government, promptly forgot them, and never thought of that word again. Civics seemed abstract, disconnected from real life. And yet, it is critical to maintaining our republic.

Civics is not a class. It is a responsibility. A set of habits, disciplines, and values that make a country possible. Without it, no country survives.

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Civics happens every time you speak freely, worship openly, question your government, serve on a jury, or cast a ballot. It’s not a theory or just another entry in a textbook. It’s action — the acts we perform every day to be a positive force in society.

Many of us recoil at “civic responsibility.” “I pay my taxes. I follow the law. I do my civic duty.” That’s not civics. That’s a scam, in my opinion.

Taking up the torch

The founders knew a republic could never run on autopilot. And yet, that’s exactly what we do now. We assume it will work, then complain when it doesn’t. Meanwhile, the people steering the country are driving it straight into a mountain — and they know it.

Our founders gave us tools: separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, elections. But they also warned us: It won’t work unless we are educated, engaged, and moral.

Are we educated, engaged, and moral? Most Americans cannot even define a republic, never mind “keep one,” as Benjamin Franklin urged us to do after the Constitutional Convention.

We fought and died for the republic. Gaining it was the easy part. Keeping it is hard. And keeping it is done through civics.

Start small and local

In our homes, civics means teaching our children the Constitution, our history, and that liberty is not license — it is the space to do what is right. In our communities, civics means volunteering, showing up, knowing your sheriff, attending school board meetings, and understanding the laws you live under. When necessary, it means challenging them.

How involved are you in your local community? Most people would admit: not really.

Civics is learned in practice. And it starts small. Be honest in your business dealings. Speak respectfully in disagreement. Vote in every election, not just the presidential ones. Model citizenship for your children. Liberty is passed down by teaching and example.

Samuel Corum / Stringer | Getty Images

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Start with yourself. Study the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and state laws. Study, act, serve, question, and teach. Only then can we hope to save the republic. The next election will not fix us. The nation will rise or fall based on how each of us lives civics every day.

Civics isn’t a class. It’s the way we protect freedom, empower our communities, and pass down liberty to the next generation.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.