California Says 'Human Vs. Robot' Cage Match Was Illegal

The order, sent Sept. 23, states that any boxing or mixed martial arts contest, match or exhibition involving any human in California requires the commission's prior approval and that holding such an event without a state license or permit is a misdemeanor. A spokesperson for the California Department of Consumer Affairs, which oversees the commission, said in an emailed statement to the Times that the commission is committed to protecting public safety and the integrity of combat sports, and that unsanctioned activity puts the physical and financial well-being of those involved at risk and will not be tolerated.

The event placed influencer Frankie LaPenna, listed at 5-foot-6 and 205 pounds, inside an octagon for separate MMA-style fights against three humanoid robots controlled remotely by a human operator. Wearing spiked gloves, a helmet and protective padding, LaPenna defeated two of the three robots. He dominated his first opponent, referred to in the fight as "the child robot." He then faced a Terminator-inspired humanoid listed on the fight video as 6 feet and 200 pounds with a kick force of 850 pounds; the robot landed several hard kicks, including one that knocked LaPenna across the mat, and another impact brought the robot to the ground and caused its head to come off. LaPenna eventually stood with his foot on the machine's crumpled body.

In his final match, against a robot resembling the Predator from the films, LaPenna was dominant early, landing punches and kicks and taking his opponent to the ground multiple times before he became fatigued and called for the match to be ended. "He doesn't get tired. He doesn't stay down," LaPenna said in a postmatch interview. After beating his first robot opponent, he told his interviewer, "Clankers zero, humans one." The New York Times reported that the crowd of about 100 was thrilled.

The New York Times also reported that people who know humanoid robots best highly recommend against fighting them. Ken Goldberg, a professor who oversees the automation lab at the University of California, Berkeley, said it is "very unfair to put a human in with a heavily motorized system that's only going to dominate" and that "there's nothing surprising about that." He said he understood the appeal of the fights, which he said tapped "into some of the fear and frustration with robots that people feel" and that people "love to see the human kick the robot's gearbox." But Goldberg said the odds of the human fighter getting his gearbox kicked are much greater, given that the robots can weigh several hundred pounds and are made of steel. The robots were human-controlled rather than programmed with split-second reactions, the report said.