Watch: Robots fight like humans in historic boxing match
What's the story
In a historic first, a humanoid robot from China has won the world's first-ever robot boxing match.
The competition, which took place in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, featured robots executing complex maneuvers just like humans.
The machines exhibited an amazing range of combat skills and threw powerful punches at each other during the live-streamed event.
The contest was called Mecha Fighting Series and pushed robots' batteries and materials to the limit.
Operator control
Human operators guide robots in combat
The robots' participation in this one-of-a-kind tournament was guided by four human operator teams. They showcased their boxing skills, both individually and in groups.
The event was a platform to test the machines' high-pressure movement capabilities and their resilience in fast-paced scenarios.
This pioneering robot boxing match is likely to drive advancements in perception, control, and execution technology in the field of robotics.
Humanoid performance
Unitree Robotics's G1 robots showcased human-like skills
The event showcased robots from Unitree Robotics, particularly their G1 models.
Videos posted on social media showed the machines throwing punches with precision during the fight.
However, there were times when the robots' actions were not perfectly in sync.
Nevertheless, one robot became the overall champion after successfully countering a tough punch from its opponent and making it lose balance and fall.
Combat prowess
Robots demonstrated impressive combat skills
Chen Xiyun, a marketing team member of Unitree Robotics, told Global Times that the robots fought in a human-machine collaborative manner.
He emphasized that the bots exhibited various combat techniques like straight punches, hook punches, sidekicks, and aerial spin kicks. They even showcased their ability to get up after falling.
Ahead of the event, these machines were trained for their combat readiness with self-balancing capabilities and smooth mobility.
Twitter Post
Take a look at the complete event
Robot Boxing Championship - Iron Fist King: Awakeninghttps://t.co/Ifd0FIvmMk
— Robot Coin (@humanoidmeme) May 25, 2025
Humanoid agility
G1 models showcased impressive human-like skills
Standing at 1.32 meters tall, the G1 robot was designed by Unitree to operate in extreme conditions and showed amazing human-like skills during the fight.
With advanced computing power, it provided better flexibility and agility.
Experts said this boxing match showcases China's advancement in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, giving a glimpse of how combat sports require full-body coordination and quick tactical adjustments from operators in a combat situation.