EngineAI Robotics has initiated the world’s first commercial humanoid robot combat league. Dubbed the “Ultimate Robot Knock-Out Legend,” the competition made its official debut with a conference on Feb. 9 in Shenzhen, China.
The event, co-organized with Quanmingxing Robotics, draws teams to compete in tiered matches through December in the inaugural season. They will use free EngineAI T800 robots, released in December of 2025, for development and fine-tuning. The goal of providing them free of charge is to lower barriers to entry for companies, schools, research labs, etc.
These full-sized humanoids, equipped with aviation-grade aluminum, active cooling and high-torque motors, execute dynamic moves like side kicks and 360-degree aerial rotations. Teams will equip the T800s with their own autonomous AI systems in the fight for strategic technological prowess within the ring.
The winner of the 2026 tournament will receive a 10-kilogram golden belt valued at approximately 10 million yuan or US$1.44 million.
Monday’s conference about the league’s establishment featured an appearance from famous Muay Thai master Buakaw Banchamek.
“For an industry constantly talking about eldercare, logistics and household assistance, it’s interesting that one of the clearest near-term business cases emerging is robot fight clubs,” said ASTM International robotics director Aaron Prather.
The world’s first humanoid #robot free combat league has kicked off in Shenzhen. 🤖🥊
The URKL 2026 season will run through December, with the champion taking home a ¥10 million gold belt, as teams compete using T800 humanoid robots developed by EngineAI.#HumanoidRobots… pic.twitter.com/ePevgAOO3N— Chinese Embassy in US (@ChineseEmbinUS) February 11, 2026
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Comparing URKL to recent robot competitions
The newly launched fight league draws inspiration from recent humanoid robot scrapping events, but stands out with its year-long format and emphasis on autonomous AI development.
Others of note that occurred last year include the kickboxing segment at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, held in August; The China Media Group Mecha Fighting Series in Hangzhou, hosted on May 25; and San Francisco’s Robot Kombat Entertainment fights.
Unlike the “Chinese Robot Kung Fu” style fighting that will occur at URKL, CMG Mecha introduced humanoid boxing with Unitree G1 robots in one-on-one and group matches, relying on remote human control.
San Francisco’s Robot Entertainment Kombat, on the other hand, enabled those controlling the ring robots to operate them with virtual reality headsets and sensors.
URKL echoes the combat focus with best-of-three rounds and knockouts, but stands apart by supplying free standardized T800 hardware to prioritize autonomous software development over piloted operation. It emphasizes AI autonomy, commercial scalability and a much longer tournament duration.
Robots and martial arts are frequently colliding
Humanoid robots have been increasingly integrating martial arts in their arsenal of capabilities. AgiBot’s Lingxi X2 models, for instance, demonstrated synchronized kung fu forms alongside Shaolin monks at Henan Province’s Shaolin Temple this month.
They harness the power of artificial intelligence for real-time movement replication and balance on uneven terrain. This head-turning demo follows milestones such as completing front flips and long-distance walks, which have showcased AgiBot models’ adaptability for training and performance.
Training humanoids to fight is not without safety concerns though. One Chinese man experimenting with a motion capture suit and Unitree robot accidentally got kicked in the nuts due to a timing delay earlier this year. Additionally, an H1 model made by this Chinese robotics creator raised alarm when it started thrashing violently during lab tests, nearly striking technicians nearby.
Back on the subject of the T800, EngineAI CEO Zhao Tongyang got booted to the ground by one of his company’s creations a couple of months ago. It appears he may have underestimated its kicking power.
Humanoid robots are continuing to accelerate tech validation through combat ambitions, but they require robust safeguards.
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