A company that stages human-versus-robot fights is still advertising a San Francisco event this week despite receiving a cease-and-desist order from California regulators over a recent match between a humanoid robot and a social media influencer.
Robot Entertainment Kombat received the Sept. 30 order after organizing a Sept. 18 fight between its 6-foot "Terminator" robot and influencer Frankie LaPenna. The company's website still lists an upcoming "REK Deathmatch"event in San Francisco on Oct. 9.
The company's CEO Cix Liv posted a cease and desist letter on his X account on Sept. 30 with the post reading "We made it, boys. California sent us a Cease and Desist for 'UNSANCTIONED HUMAN VERSUS HUMANOID ROBOT CAGE FIGHT'."
The California Department
of Public Affairs and the California State Athletic Commission addressed the letter to Liv and other parties the CEO chose to omit, and referenced the most recent Sept. 18 match in San Francisco.
"Please take notice that you and each and each of you are hereby ordered to cease and desist from: (1) holding, promoting or advertising any boxing or mixed martial arts contest match or exhibition, involving any human in the State of California without the prior approval of the State Athletic Commission, or (2) engaging in the promotion of, or participation in, a boxing or martial arts contest, match, or exhibition involving any human without a license pursuant to Business and Professions Code section 18640," the first part of the letter read.
Calls to the California Department of Public Affairs seeking clarification on whether the agency knows about the Oct. 9 event went unanswered. Robot Entertainment Kombat also did not respond to requests for comment.
What happened in the human vs robot fight?
The Sept. 18 exhibition featured social media influencer Frankie LaPenna facing three different robots. In a video posted to his YouTube channel, LaPenna appeared apprehensive before the match, joking nervously as he prepared to enter the cage against robotic opponents, including a 200-pound humanoid machine advertised as capable of delivering kicks with up to 850 pounds of force.
The first matchup was brief. LaPenna quickly toppled a smaller robot with a kick, ending the bout within seconds. The second fight was more physically demanding, pitting him against the company's 6-foot-tall "Terminator" robot. During the contest, the machine landed a powerful kick that knocked LaPenna across the cage despite his protective gear, drawing loud reactions from spectators.
LaPenna recovered and continued fighting, eventually pushing the larger robot to the ground to secure the win. The influencer won two of his three matchups overall, according to footage from the event.
His final bout came against a faster robot called the "Predator." Speaking after the fight, LaPenna said the machine's ability to repeatedly get back up and continue attacking wore him down over time. Unlike a human opponent, he said, the robot never appeared to tire.
What is Robot Entertainment Kombat?
The San Francisco-based robotics company describes itself as "'Real Steel' IRL," even having videos referencing the 2011 Hugh Jackman film on its Instagram page.
Despite the state's cease-and-desist letter, the company's website lists events planned in seven U.S. cities, including Tokyo, Vancouver, and California, as well as an upcoming event called "REK Deathmatch" on Friday, Oct. 9, in San Francisco.
The company has by far the biggest footprint in its home state, with San Francisco hosting six events and San Clemente, Palo Alto, and Los Angeles each with one planned, the website shows.
The company's events typically feature MMA-style bouts between humanoid robots. The Sept. 18 match against influencer Frankie LaPenna appears to have been its first involving a human participant. It is unclear whether the company's Oct. 9 event in San Francisco will include another human-versus-robot fight or only robot-versus-robot matches.
California and federal law do not explicitly ban human-versus-robot fights. Instead, the dispute appears to center on whether the bouts fall under existing combat-sports regulations that require state approval, licensing, and oversight.
Liv contacted state regulators before organizing the events but was told the fights were illegal, he said on a social media post.
"They said what we are doing is illegal, yet there is no law for it," Liv said. "The law clearly states that a boxing match is between 'two persons' as defined by law."
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com, 805-437-0224 or @ecentenoaraujo on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: International robot/human fight promoter ordered to cease in California
