‘First-ever human vs robot fight’: Influencer takes on 6-foot ‘Terminator’ in MMA cage

The US-based robotics company REK organised the fight, staging full-contact bouts involving human-controlled humanoid robots.

2 min readNew DelhiSep 22, 2026 01:03 PM IST

LaPenna initially went after the robot with a series of punches. The machine, however, hit back with punches and forceful kicks

An influencer found himself taking a serious beating after stepping into a mixed martial arts (MMA) cage with a six-foot-tall humanoid robot in a bizarre human-versus-machine showdown.

The fight, held in San Francisco, was organised by US-based robotics company Robot Entertainment Kombat (REK), which stages full-contact fights involving human-controlled humanoid robots.

Footage from the event shows influencer and content creator Frankie LaPenna entering the cage to face the machine. Designed to look like a futuristic combat robot, it moved around the ring and warmed up before the bout began.

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LaPenna initially went after the robot with a series of punches. The machine, however, hit back with punches and forceful kicks, with some of its strikes sending the influencer flying across the cage.

REK called the bout the first human-versus-humanoid robot fight and said it would release more footage from the event.

“We just made history with the first Human VS Terminator robot fight. Frankie LaPenna gave it his all,” the company wrote while sharing the video on X.

According to REK’s X account, LaPenna “kept going and defeated” the mechanical opponent. The company later clarified that a human controlled the robot remotely.

Watch the video:

We just made history with the first Human VS Terminator robot fight.

Frankie LaPenna gave it his all 🥊 More fight footage coming soon! pic.twitter.com/iADpv9d8Wg

— REK (@REK) September 20, 2026

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Clips of the fight soon spread across social media, prompting users to debate whether remotely controlled robots could eventually become part of combat sports.

“I’m curious how an actual fighter would do against this. I feel a pro would do much better,” a user commented.

“Not gonna lie, I would watch every episode of this!” another added.

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