California authorities have clarified that the startup Rek, identified as the "humanoid robot fighting league," is prohibited from organizing fights that include any human participant unless they first secure official permission.
The California State Athletic Commission sent a cease-and-desist letter to a startup that hosted a match between a human and a robot last month, as reported by The New York Times.
This event, which occurred on September 18th, pitted human fighter Frankie LaPenna against a humanoid robot piloted by another individual via a "remote virtual-reality system." Rek identifies itself as the "humanoid robot fighting league" on its website, and the combatant utilized a robot built by EngineAI featuring a Terminator-like head.
Viewers can watch a replay of the fight on YouTube.
On September 30th, Rek CEO Cix Liv posted the letter to X, calling the event "unsanctioned." The letter demanded that Liv and Rek cease "holding, promoting or advertising any boxing or mixed martial arts contest match, or exhibition, involving any human" in California without the commission's approval. Liv responded with, "We made it boys."
Looking ahead, Rek’s next scheduled match, set for Friday, will feature two robots equipped with weapons battling one another.
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