A record crowd just turned out to watch Chinese humanoid robots battle in San Francisco as concerns rise about the safety and security of the machines.
REK (Robot Entertainment Kombat) called it the world’s first VR-controlled humanoid robot fight event. Organizers reported selling nearly 3,400 tickets to the spectacle at the Temple Nightclub, the biggest draw in the club’s 20-year history.
Reports on social media indicated a substantial number of ticket holders were turned away due to overbooking. The venue’s capacity is around 2,500. Organizers said they’ll book a larger venue for the next exhibition.
“We apologize event organizers may (have) oversold tickets on how many spots fit in the venue,” REK posted on X. “We are sorry (to those) who didn’t arrive early and (were) stuck in line. Which was 3 blocks long. Next event will be bigger, better visibility.”
Twitch co-founder Justin Kan and UFC veteran Hyder Amil headlined the event, each piloting Unitree robots that stand about 127 cm or about the height of the OG M3GAN. You might recognize it as Rizzbot. The bout ended in a decision favoring the Twitch co-founder.
There’s growing interest in robots in the ring, with UFC and Unitree teasing a collaboration after the Hangzhou-based robotics leader held its first humanoid kickboxing tournament earlier in 2025. Shenzhen-based startup EngineAI, which is developing a humanoid inspired by the T800 synthetic human from The Terminator franchise, is also planning a match featuring full-sized humanoids for December 2025.
While Unitree’s matches have mainly featured remote-controlled bots, REK uses VR headsets so fighters can embody the robots in real-time. Yeah, like Real Steel (2011).
Unitree’s G1 humanoids have surged in popularity over the last year thanks to their relatively low entry price around $16,000. Launched back in 2016 by hardware engineer Wang Xingxing, the startup already manufactures more than 60 percent of the world’s quadrupedal robots, which start under $2,000. Unitree is now pushing its next-generation humanoid, called the R1, to market for prices starting under $6,000.
The company is expected to file paperwork by the end of 2025 for an initial public offering (IPO), reportedly seeking a $7 billion valuation. The IPO is expected to take place on Shanghai’s STAR Market, a tech-heavy board similar to NASDAQ.
As Unitree’s robots grow ubiquitous outside the mainland, they’re raising alarms about safety and security.
Researchers Andreas Makris and Kevin Finisterre reported a serious security flaw to IEEE Spectrum that allows attackers to exploit Unitree robots through their Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) wireless Internet configuration system. It’s the same kind of wireless communication tech used in devices like fitness trackers, smartwatches, earbuds, and medical sensors to transmit small amounts of data over short distances, usually within 3 to 10 meters.
In Unitree’s case, it’s used to connect its robots to wireless networks. According to the IEEE report, the so-called UniPwn bug lets an attacker send a specifically crafted string during the wireless setup process. A hacker could run commands at the root level by getting close enough to a robot and sending the malicious value.
With that level of access, an attacker could install software, read sensors, stream cameras, change behavior, or even brick the device. Even more alarming, the exploit could be used to scan for and attack other nearby Unitree machines. That means bad actors could potentially gain control of a fleet of AI-powered robots.
As evident during the REK tournament, the robots generally aren’t a threat to people at this point. However, Unitree’s robots have been outfitted with weaponry by militaries, police departments, and hobbyists. Unitree says it solely develops civilian technology, and all lethal modifications are unauthorized.
In response to the UniPwn reporting, Unitree shared a statement saying most of the network-related issues have been resolved and more fixes will be rolled out soon. The company said its robots are designed for offline use by default. The only way to connect to the Internet is if a user manually configures and authorizes it for certain functions.
When connected, Unitree said, basic info like serial numbers and health status may be sent to international servers, comparable to how smartphones handle data. Unitree promised better permission management to reduce misunderstandings but called online reports about flaws exaggerated.
“We are committed to continuously improving and refining our products to provide you with safer and more reliable solutions,” the company said. “Additionally, we will adopt more advanced technical solutions to eliminate vulnerabilities and concerns.”
Responding to criticism about the event featuring Chinese humanoids, REK founder Cix Liv said on X there aren’t any American robotics firms producing the needed hardware.
Tesla plans to start scaling production of its next-gen Optimus robots starting in 2026, alongside well-funded competition like Silicon Valley-based Figure AI and 1X Technologies. American-made alternative to low-cost Chinese hardware like the Berkeley Humanoid Lite and the K-Bot by K-Scale Labs are creeping into research labs but are not battle ready.
On X, K-Scale founder Benjamin Bolte noted: “In Silicon Valley, VC-backed humanoid boxing leagues now outnumber humanoid companies whose robots you can actually buy. Anyone who wants to feel extremely depressed about America should spend ten minutes talking to an American Dynamism VC.”