California State Athletic Commission orders startup Rek to stop human-vs-humanoid fights (report)
Announced October 8, 2026
What happened
The California State Athletic Commission sent a cease-and-desist letter to startup Rek, which held a fight between a human and a humanoid robot on September 18, The Verge reported, citing the NYT.
Why it matters
It is the first case of a regulator responding to events where humanoids fight humans directly.
Confidence medium · official source pending
Sources
- Press California is trying to shut down robot vs. human cage matches The Verge