Human fighters are stepping into the ring against remote-controlled machines in a new underground combat sports league called Robot Entertainment Kombat (REK). Founded by Cix Liv, the venture recently hosted an unsanctioned event in a San Francisco warehouse, drawing a crowd of roughly one hundred spectators eager to witness combat between man and machine.
During the September 18 event, a human competitor faced off against a remotely operated humanoid robot. The human participant was ultimately bested and sent to the mat in each match, walking away with a hand injury. While the robot was controlled by a real person rather than acting autonomously, the spectacle quickly caught the attention of the California State Athletic Commission.
State regulators subsequently issued a cease-and-desist letter to the startup, informing organizers that the events lacked proper sanctioning and required official approval for any matches involving humans. Despite the regulatory pushback, the organization continues to push forward with its schedule, planning upcoming robot-versus-robot deathmatches equipped with weapons.
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