# San Francisco's Robot Fight Club

> San Francisco hosts first humanoid robot death match with steel blades.
- Title: San Francisco's Robot Fight Club · The San Francisco Standard
- Summary: 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…
- Keywords: rekt, robot, van ness arena, humanoid, blades, san francisco, battle bots, tech week, cease and desist, chinese robots, robot fight club, San
- Source: The San Francisco Standard — https://sfstandard.com/2026/10/11/humanoid-robot-weapon-fight-sf
- Published: 2026-10-11T13:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: rekt, robot, van ness arena, humanoid, blades, san francisco, battle bots, ai, tech week, cease and desist, chinese robots, robot fight club
## 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
## Key takeaway

San Francisco's REK robot fight club staged a blade-wielding humanoid death match at Van Ness Arena, facing regulatory challenges but claiming legality.