 "Robots are fighting robots in Chinese kick-boxing competition: Here's what happened")
The fields of robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have come a long way in the last few decades and find themselves becoming increasingly integral across a variety of industries, from manufacturing and healthcare to defence.
The two industries have also made their mark in sport; while AI is being used to scout talent at the grassroots level in countries such as Brazil, robots are being used sports such as kickboxing with China launching the world’s first humanoid robot fighting competition on Sunday.
Four-foot robots exhibit a wide variety of moves
The unique form of kickboxing took place in the China Media Group (CMG) World Robot Competition - Mecha Fighting Series that kicked off in Hangzhou on Sunday, 25 May. The first-of-its kind event featured robots with a wide range of combat skills developed by Unitree Robotics, the organisation that is headquartered in the eastern Chinese city located a little over a couple of hours away from Shanghai.
The robots that featured in the event, however, did not make moves on their own, and were controlled by teams of four people using joysticks. The robot fighters, however, weren’t quite the size of an adult human – they measured about 132 centimetres in height and weighed about 35 kilograms, according to Global Times. The event, additionally, was telecast live on China Central Television (CCTV) and also streamed live.
World's first robot combat championship kicks off in #China pic.twitter.com/lb4qnCydCX
— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) May 27, 2025
The event comprised demonstration as well as competitive matches, with the robots competing one-on-one as well as in groups, and is part of a larger push to highlight the utility of AI and robotics across a variety of settings including in combat. One of the robots used at the event was the Unitree G1, the company’s flagship humanoid robot that has been designed to operate in environments that are considered challenging for humans.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsAnother event featuring full-sized humanoid robots has been scheduled for December and will be organised by EngineAI in Shenzhen, the city located along China’s southern coast next to Hong Kong.
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