China just held the first-ever robot-only martial arts tournament, where machines could be seen kicking and throwing punches at each other.
Earlier this year, we saw a humanoid model of a robot patrolling the streets, which reminded us all of Robocop.
With technology only advancing, it seemed only a matter of time until we could finally see robots fighting each other. On May 25, 2025, our wish came true. China held the first-ever robot fighting tournament in Hangzhou, Zhejiang.
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The tournament had Unitree’s G1 model, which weighed 35 kilograms and was 132 centimeters tall, pitted against each other in a boxing ring.
China has just held the first-ever robot kickboxing tournament
Broadcast by China Central Television, the fights during the China Media Group (CMG) World Robot Competition lasted three rounds and were scored based on hits on the head or body. Landing one punch was equivalent to scoring one point, while a kick gave three points.
Five points would be deducted if the robots fell. On the other hand, if they couldn’t get up within eight seconds of being knocked down, they’d lose 10 points, and the round would immediately end.
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When it came to the actual fight, these machines were actually controlled by humans via remotes and voice commands. As seen in the footage from the broadcast, they’re capable of punching, kicking, and doing uppercuts. Think of it as an evolved Robot Wars from the early 2000s.
However, it’s safe to say that their overall movement isn’t the smoothest just yet; some lost their balance after walking backward or kicking. Ultimately, out of four robots, one operated by Chinese tech influencer Lu Xin ended up winning.
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Speaking to CCTV, Unitree director Wang Qixin said teaching robots different movements is “not easy.
“We used artificial intelligence (AI) technology to train them. First, we captured the data of the movements of some professional kick-boxing athletes, and then the robots can learn these movements in the virtual world,” he explained.
Despite the overall challenge, this won’t be the last time we’ll see something like this. The EngineAI Robot Free Combat Tournament was also announced and will be held in December. According to the organizers, this time around, the event will test not only the robots’ physical limits but also their intelligence levels.
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