Robot Entertainment Kombat (REK), a San Francisco-based company, held an exhibition match on September 18 featuring human-versus-robot cage fighting. The event involved social media influencer Frankie Lapenna competing against three different robots, including a 90-kilogram humanoid model capable of delivering kicks with 850 pounds of force.
During the second round, a 1.8-meter-tall robot known as the Terminator kicked Lapenna into the cage wall. Despite the physical impact, the human competitor managed to push the machine over to win that round. The final match against a faster robot named Predator resulted in a loss for the human, as the machine demonstrated superior endurance compared to its opponent.
On September 30, REK received a cease-and-desist order from California regulators citing the lack of authorization for human-robot combat. CEO Sixx Leaf stated that current laws define boxing matches as contests between two humans, arguing that no specific statute prohibits human-robot fights. The company is currently facing scrutiny over whether such events require state licensing.
Despite the regulatory intervention, the company's website continues to list upcoming events in various US cities, as well as in Tokyo and Vancouver. A scheduled REK Death Match remains on the calendar for October 9 in San Francisco. It is currently unclear if the organization will proceed with human-robot matchups or limit future events to robot-only combat.
