The California State Athletic Commission issued a cease and desist order to robot combat company REK, requiring it to stop hosting, promoting, or sponsoring unsanctioned fighting events and stating that organizing such activities without a license is a misdemeanor. The order targeted a humanoid robot cage fight REK sponsored in San Francisco on September 18, 2026, in which YouTuber Frankie LaPenna entered the cage to fight three robots.
At the REK robot combat event in San Francisco, Zhongqing Robotics' T800 humanoid robot, remotely operated through VR and motion controls, kicked down human boxer Frankie LaPenna to win the match. The 1.83m modified robot was built to collect collision data and improve balance, force control, and perception algorithms.