From The San Francisco Standard · · 1m 20s
San Francisco's Robot Fight Club
San Francisco hosts first humanoid robot death match with steel blades.
In brief
San Francisco hosts first humanoid robot death match with steel blades. San Francisco's REK robot fight club staged a blade-wielding humanoid death match at Van Ness Arena, facing regulatory challenges but claiming legality. Originally reported by The San Francisco Standard.
First humanoid death match
San Francisco's REK staged a blade-wielding humanoid death match at Van Ness Arena.
“This is the first humanoid death match … it’ll be the first fight to the death”
6-foot robots wield steel blades
Two 6-foot-2, 180-pound robots used steel claws and spartan blades in the fight.
“Rektile, a 6-foot-2, 180 pound-machine sported steel claws, while its opponent, the 190-pound T-REK, brandished vicious looking spartan blades”
Safety concerns during fight
Organizers warned cameras and spectators about blade injuries after panels were pierced.
“Each had a reach of over 6 feet, and the organizers worried the weapons might slice through the viewing holes”
REK's origins and goals
REK, founded by VR entrepreneur Cix Liv in 2025, leases Van Ness Arena for permanent robot fights.
“REK, which stands for Robot Entertainment Kombat, was founded in 2025 by Liv, a VR entrepreneur turned humanoid robot fight overlord”
Regulatory challenges
REK received a cease and desist from California Athletic State Commission over unlicensed combat.
“In September, it staged a human-vs.-robot cage match, which earned it a cease and desist from the California Athletic State Commission”
Blade development
Nick Dobrikov, REK's lead hardware engineer, designed 10- to 20-inch AR500 steel blades for damage.
“We just want more damage. I think people love damage, and the weapons will cause more damage”
Crowd reaction
Over 100 diverse spectators paid $69 to watch the fight including techies and cyberpunk ravers.
“Over 100 people packed the venue, many paying $69 for the experience”
Public response
Viewers described the fight as futuristic and a tangible manifestation of AI technology.
“It seems futuristic, but it’s kind of the MVP of what the world could look like”
Future plans
REK aims for regular bouts after scaling back from retail store and workshop plans.
“The goal for the space, Liv said, is regular bouts, and he’s 'very close' to making that happen”
Investor perspective
Hubert Thieblot, REK's investor, noted rapid tech evolution but concerns about Chinese robot reliance.
“Most robots were kind of useless two years ago, but we need to know how to build them”
The key point
San Francisco's REK robot fight club staged a blade-wielding humanoid death match at Van Ness Arena, facing regulatory challenges but claiming legality.
:quality(85):upscale()/2026/10/14/712/n/1922794/d837c5266acfa83cd603b8.78861154_.png)
