The California State Athletic Commission issued a cease-and-desist order to the robotics startup REK following a human-versus-robot cage match held on September 18, 2026. During the event, YouTuber Frankie LaPenna fought three humanoid robots.
The regulator stated that holding or promoting boxing or mixed martial arts matches involving humans in California requires prior approval and a license. Violating these rules under the state Business and Professions Code is classified as a misdemeanor.
REK promotes its platform as a provider of full-contact combat events featuring humanoid robots. The company offers private events starting at $10 000 and provides a simulator on Steam and Meta Quest for users to train and potentially qualify to pilot real robots.
The commission clarified that its intervention was specifically triggered by the participation of a human in the combat event. The agency noted that it would not have intervened if the match had been conducted exclusively between robots.
