A content creator who volunteered to climb into a cage with a six-foot robot learned quickly why his own coach was nervous. Frankie Lapenna fought three remote-controlled machines in a series of matches put on by REK, a company that organizes fights between humans and remote-controlled robots, according to footage and details reported by Breitbart News and the Daily Mail.
Before the headline bout, an announcer framed the moment for the crowd: “For the first time in history, a human faces off against a six-foot-tall robot.” Lapenna’s coach offered a less triumphant assessment. “I’m scared for you, man,” he said, according to the account.
Video of the fight shows Lapenna landing several punches before the robot kicks him to the floor. The clip cuts off at that point, leaving the outcome unresolved for viewers. But REK CEO Cix Liv told the Daily Mail that Lapenna got back up, knocked the machine off balance, and eventually managed to “rip its head off.”
A volunteer who wanted less protection, then more
Lapenna approached REK roughly two months before the fight, Liv said, and initially wanted to step into the cage without protective equipment. The company refused, insisting he wear gear. After seeing what the robot was capable of, Lapenna asked for additional protection, according to Liv.
He ultimately fought in motorcycle gear and gloves designed to shield his hands. That decision may have mattered: REK says its larger machines can deliver kicks with roughly 850 pounds of force. Lapenna injured his hand punching one of the robots but was otherwise unharmed, Liv said.
The lineup escalated over the course of the event. Lapenna first faced a smaller Unitree G1 before taking on two modified ENGINEAI T800 robots, each about six feet tall. REK has not yet released the result of his final fight.
A one-time stunt that may become a series
Liv said REK had planned the human-versus-robot matchup as a one-time spectacle. Interest from people who want to try it themselves has changed the company’s thinking.
“We’ll have to do it again,” he said.
The footage circulated widely online, with users on X joking about what would happen if they were the ones standing across from a robot in a cage. The mix of amusement and unease is familiar territory for anyone who has watched advances in robotics move from factory floors and research labs into entertainment venues.
For REK, the event fits a niche it has been building: staged combat between people and remote-controlled machines. Whether the format becomes a recurring attraction — or remains a viral one-off — may depend on how many volunteers are willing to absorb an 850-pound kick for the sake of content.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2026/09/22/watch-robot-kicks-influencer-to-floor-in-man-vs-machine-cage-fight/