Fans of mixed martial arts are no strangers to unconventional fighting formats, from medieval-style cage bouts to jiu-jitsu grappling in car seats.
The MMA landscape is constantly evolving, with new leagues and unique concepts emerging to capture the attention of its vast global audience.
Indeed, it seems almost every variation has been explored – from armored combatants wielding swords to grapplers applying submissions in the confined space of a car.
However, the newest combat sports venture to hit the scene is one that many have anticipated: a robot fighting league.
Fans React to the Robot League Debut
This past weekend in Hangzhou, China, marked the debut of the world’s first humanoid robot boxing tournament. Hosted by Unitree Robotics, known for their diverse range of robotic capabilities, the event was a livestreamed competition dubbed the ‘Mecha Fight Series’.
Unitree gained recent viral attention after a video showed one of their robots behaving erratically during development, swinging aggressively and posing a risk to nearby workers.
Although promoted as a boxing tournament, the matches appeared to follow kickboxing rules, highlighted by one robot being knocked down following a powerful knee strike to the body.
“`Welcome to the fight club of tomorrow,` commented one fan.”
“`Wow, that’s so cool!` another fan reacted.”
“`More action than a (Floyd) Mayweather fight,` remarked a third fan.”
Notably, these robots were human-controlled via remote, rather than operating autonomously through AI.
“`It would be more interesting if they weren’t remote controlled robots,` a fourth fan suggested.”
Unitree Robotics held the world`s first humanoid robot kickboxing competition this past weekend in Hangzhou, China 🤖🥊🇨🇳 pic.twitter.com/YhX9L2XhNl
— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) May 7, 2024
Mark Zuckerberg and the Future of UFC Rankings
Considering the rise of tech-driven initiatives, some speculated that if anyone were to pioneer robot combat, it might be American businessman Mark Zuckerberg, a known enthusiast of the UFC.
Last year, UFC President Dana White publicly invited Zuckerberg to assist in revamping the league`s ranking system, citing the current process as outdated and in need of significant changes.
Since then, White has hinted to UFC fans about a forthcoming major overhaul of the ranking system, potentially involving Zuckerberg`s input.
Gareth Pendleton