China has launched the world’s first commercial humanoid robot combat league, the Ultimate Robot Knock-out Legend (URKL), in Shenzhen, featuring high-intensity fights, spinning kicks, and a 10-kilogram gold championship belt worth $1.44 million.

The league, running from February through December, uses T800 humanoid robots supplied free by EngineAI, providing both entertainment and a real-world testing ground for embodied AI.

Experts say robot combat pushes machines to operate under extreme conditions, testing motion control, balance, impact resistance, and speeding up physical validation of simulations.

The T800 robots are equipped with advanced sensors, aviation-grade aluminum panels, and lithium batteries for up to four hours of high-intensity performance, allowing them to perform martial arts moves, Eweek has reported.

While the league highlights China’s technological prowess, analysts caution that focusing on combat could divert robotics development from industrial or service applications requiring sustained operation.