Chinese Humanoid Robot Knocks Down Human Boxer in U.S. Robot Fight

On September 22, 2026, at the REK robot combat event in San Francisco, the T800 humanoid robot from Chinese company Zhongqing Robotics delivered a powerful kick that knocked down human influencer boxer Frankie LaPenna, who was wearing full protective gear, and won the match.

The T800 was not operating autonomously; it was remotely controlled by an operator using a VR headset and motion controller, while the robot itself handled dynamic balance and posture correction. The modified T800 stands 1.83 meters tall, 10 centimeters taller than the standard version, with an appearance inspired by the Terminator exoskeleton.

Zhongqing T800 is a heavy-duty full-size humanoid robot with a starting price of 180,000 RMB, weighing 75 kg, and featuring a peak joint torque of 450 N·m. It is equipped with a self-developed solid-state battery, providing 4-5 hours of battery life. The company said the core purpose of participating in the combat event was to collect motion and collision data in high-intensity impact scenarios, iterating algorithms for balance, force control, and perception, and ultimately advancing technology for industrial and service applications.