California Athletic Commission Moves to Halt Human-vs-Robot Fights

The California State Athletic Commission, the body that oversees boxing and mixed martial arts events in the state, has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the technology startup Rek. The company staged a fight between a human and a humanoid robot last month. The New York Times reported the story, and The Verge has covered it.

The fight took place on September 18. Frankie LaPenna faced a robot that was piloted by a person using what the Times described as a remote virtual-reality system. Rek's website calls it the humanoid robot fighting league. The Verge notes that the machine appears to be a robot made by EngineAI, fitted with a Terminator-style head.

What the commission demands

Rek's CEO, Cix Liv, posted the letter on X on September 30. The document calls the fight unsanctioned. It demands that Liv and Rek stop holding, promoting or advertising any boxing or mixed martial arts contest or exhibition involving a human in California unless the commission approves it.

Liv responded to the letter with the post "We made it boys."

What comes next

Rek's next match is scheduled for Friday. It will feature two robots with weapons fighting each other, so no human will take part. A replay of the first fight is available on YouTube.