'Human vs. Robot' cage match was a hit. State says event was illegal, but organizers aren't concerned
This is read by an automated voice.Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
See more from the L.A.Times in Google Search.
Set us as preferred A human defeated two of the three robots he faced in a cage fight recently held in San Francisco.The humans behind that fight could face a battle of their own — the legal type — if they want to hold another event like “Human Vs.Robot,” the Sept.
18 competition that placed influencer Frankie LaPenna inside an octagon to battle three humanoid robots that were controlled remotely by a human operator in separate MMA-style fights.REK (Robot Entertainment Kombat), the “humanoid robot fighting” company that staged the event, billed it as the “first human vs.
robot fight in history.” Videos of the bouts have combined for more than 10 million views on YouTube.Sports Lightning, one of more than 100 robots running the Beijing E-Town, avoided a serious mishap and crossed the finish line in a record 50 minutes, 26 seconds.Not everyone is a fan.
On Sept.23, the California State Athletic Commission sent a cease-and-desist order to REK, its CEO Cix Liv and “all persons holding, promoting, advertising or sponsoring unsanctioned human versus humanoid robot cage fight.”The letter states that “any boxing or mixed martial arts contest, match, or exhibition, involving any human in the State of California” requires the prior approval of the commission and that it is a misdemeanor to hold such an event without obtaining a license or permit from the state.A spokesperson for the California Department of Consumer Affairs, which oversees the CSAC, said in a statement emailed to The Times that the commission is “committed to protecting the safety of the public and integrity of combat sports.”ROBOT FINAL BOSS - Frankie VS Predator pic.twitter.com/sB81mbatKE“Unsanctioned activity puts the physical and financial well-being of all those involved at risk and such activity will not be tolerated,” the statem...