Watch: In A World-First, Humanoid Robots Battle It Out In Chinese Kick-Boxing Match

NDTV

7 days ago

In a world-first event, humanoid robots took centre stage in a kick-boxing competition held in Hangzhou, China. The robots, developed by Unitree Robotics, faced off in a thrilling match that drew a crowd of fascinated onlookers, BBC reported. As part of the China Media Group World Robot Competition, the robots demonstrated their agility and combat capabilities in both exhibition fights and competitive matches. The robots traded punches and kicks with impressive precision, highlighting the rapid advancements being made in robotics and AI.
Watch the video here:
🇨🇳 Robot gets KO'd in the world's first humanoid ROBOT FIGHTING tournament in China pic.twitter.com/Abkux5FZnj
— Dott. Orikron 🇵🇹 (@orikron) May 25, 2025
Reacting to the video, one user wrote, "The part that confuses me most is the referee in the ring."
Another commented, ''They're gonna kill us all when they see the origin story arc, aren't they?"
A third said, "We laughed when robot boxing showed up in movies. Now it's here — not CGI, not props, just real metal-throwing punches." A fourth stated, "This isn't just entertainment—this is the birth of a new species. The first punches of a future that won't need us to throw them."
However, a fifth user had a different perspective. "Does anyone else find this a little dumb? (1) It's the same robots fighting each other, so there's nothing different to observe from each. (2) It's nowhere near autonomous, clearly remote-controlled. I just don't see the big advancement to be excited about here," he said.
Unitree Robotics' humanoid robots have been at the centre of controversy multiple times. A recent incident showed a robot lashing out at its handlers, sparking concerns about AI safety and potential risks. The CCTV footage, widely shared on social media, fueled fears about the rapid advancement of robotics and AI.
In February, a robot went rogue and charged at a crowd of festival-goers at the Spring Festival Gala in Tianjin, China. Similar incidents involving AI gone wrong have made headlines, such as a robot attacking an engineer at Tesla's Texas factory. Software malfunctions have often been identified as the root cause of these incidents, emphasising the need for rigorous testing and quality control in AI development to prevent such mishaps.