Eerie footage of world’s first humanoid kickboxing

Robots have taken a step closer to resembling Transformers with the world’s first robot kickboxing championship, held by Unitree Robotics in Hangzhou, China. This event, which aired on China Central Television, featured four Unitree G1 robots — each 130 cm tall and 35 kg — sparring in one-on-one bouts while controlled by humans using remote controls. Sporting protective gear, the robots earned points by targeting their opponent’s head or trunk. The matches were powered by advanced AI algorithms that allowed the bots to punch, kick, and maintain their balance, impressively knocking out opponents in three rounds.

This championship comes just weeks after robots joined humans in Beijing’s half-marathon, showing China’s ambition in robotics. Six Chinese firms, including Unitree, plan to build over 1,000 humanoid robots in 2025. Although some viewers accused the footage of being fake, the G1 robots showcased their skills in other events like robotic football and basketball. Many online expressed a mix of fascination and concern about these advancements, joking about robot soldiers in the future while others outright doubted the reality of the event.