Real Steel Comes To Life? Two Robots Trade Punches In Chinese Kick-Boxing Contest
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Two humanoids traded punches in the world's first robot kick-boxing competition organised by China's Unitree Robotics in Hangzhou, China, on Sunday, amusing netizens.
In an unusual sight, two humanoid robots traded punches in a kick-boxing competition organised in Hangzhou, China on Sunday. The robots put on their gloves, wore protective headgear and faced off in the world's first robot kickboxing championship.
The fight was part of the China Media Group World Robot Competition and featured robots developed by Unitree Robotics, according to BBC. The tournament featured four G1 humanoid robots and was organised by Unitree Robotics in Hangzhou.
The robots exchanged punches and kicks with remarkable precision, guided remotely by human operators outside the ring, reminiscent of scenes from sci-fi films like Real Steel. The battle also highlighted significant progress in AI and robotics technology.
Viral videos stormed the internet, showing two humanoid robots dishing it out in the boxing ring. 'Welcome to the Mech Combat Arena in Hangzhou, where 4-foot AI-powered fighters throw real punches, not pixels. This is not science fiction—it's live, it's real, and it's broadcast to the world," wrote one user.
pic.twitter.com/Abkux5FZnj — Dott. Orikron 🇵🇹 (@orikron) May 25, 2025
🇨🇳KNOCKOUT! CHINA DEBUTS HUMANOID ROBOT FIGHT CLUB?!4 teams. 1 arena.
And a G1 robot just laid out its opponent—cold—in the world's first-ever humanoid combat showdown.
Welcome to the Mech Combat Arena in Hangzhou, where 4-foot AI-powered fighters throw real punches, not… pic.twitter.com/J5B11jMziQ
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 25, 2025
'At first glance, it looks like fun, but this is a serious emerging market. Imagine humans controlling robots that write their stories in a martial arts federation. This has the potential to be HUGE!" said another individual.
Four human operator teams controlled the robots to compete in a tournament-style series of boxing matches. As one of the robot participants, Unitree Robotics' flagship humanoid robot, Unitree G1, is equipped with advanced computing power and smooth motion control.
The robots demonstrated straight punches, hook punches, sidekicks and aerial spin kicks, and they even got up from the ground after falling, according to Chen Xiyun, a marketing team member of Unitree Robotics. The fight attracted millions of intrigued viewers, as the robots' movements – driven by advanced motion-control algorithms and powerful AI models – sparked a wide range of reactions.
In addition to the event on Sunday, the world's first combat tournament featuring full-sized humanoid robots is scheduled to be held in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province on December, according to Global Times.
First Published:
May 27, 2025, 09:52 IST
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