GoKawiil
Tech News
REK staged cage matches where YouTuber Frankie LaPenna fought three humanoid robots, taking hard kicks and punches that knocked him down repeatedly. The California State Athletic Commission issued a cease-and-desist letter on September 30, citing state laws requiring licensing for any combat exhibition involving a human. REK CEO Cix Liv publicly shared the letter on X rather than expressing concern.
The California State Athletic Commission sent a cease-and-desist letter to robotics startup REK after it staged a human-versus-humanoid robot cage fight in San Francisco on September 18, 2026. REK founder Cix Liv posted the order on social media, which warns that organizing such unsanctioned fights without a license is a misdemeanor. The fight pitted YouTuber Frankie LaPenna against three robots and had been promoted by REK as full-contact combat between humans and humanoid machines.
Robotics company REK released video of what it calls the first human-versus-robot mixed martial arts match, pitting a six-foot-tall humanoid robot against TikTok personality Frankie LaPenna in a padded octagon. In the 44-second clip, the robot repeatedly strikes LaPenna and ultimately throws him with a kick, appearing to end the fight decisively in the machine's favor.