Regulatory Action
The California State Athletic Commission sent a cease-and-desist letter to a startup that hosted a match between a human and a robot.
California targets robot versus human cage matches
The state stated that Rek, operating as a humanoid robot fighting league, cannot host fights involving any human in California without proper authorization.
The Unsanctioned Match
The September 18th event featured human participant Frankie LaPenna against a humanoid robot from startup Rek, controlled via a remote virtual-reality system. The robot utilized an EngineAI framework modified with a custom head.
Rek CEO Cix Liv published the letter on X, revealing that regulators labeled the bout unsanctioned and demanded an immediate halt to promoting or conducting any boxing or mixed martial arts exhibitions involving humans in the state without commission approval.
Rek's upcoming event is scheduled to feature two robots equipped with weapons fighting each other rather than a human opponent.
