The Ultimate Robot Knock-out Legend is launched in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Feb 9. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
While conventional combat sports have long been a staple of human athletic achievement, the dawn of humanoid robot competitions marks a historic milestone.
On Feb 9, the Ultimate Robot Knock-out Legend, the world's first commercialized free-combat league exclusively featuring humanoid robots, was officially unveiled in a news conference in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.
Initiated by EngineAI, the event gathered global technology leaders and representatives from top university research teams, marking the formal debut of a technology-driven sports league with significant industrial potential.
At the launch event, keynote speeches were delivered by Zhao Tongyang, founder and CEO of EngineAI; representatives of the URKL organizing committee; Zhang Rui, head of the All-Stars Robot Combat Series; and international guests including Muay Thai legend Buakaw Banchamek. They presented URKL's vision, competition structure, technical foundations, and long-term ecosystem strategy.
The Ultimate Robot Knock-out Legend is launched in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Feb 9. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
The debut comes at a time when humanoid robotics and embodied intelligence are rapidly transitioning from experimental laboratories to large-scale industrial deployment. Simultaneously, major global sporting events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Asian Games are driving a new sports boom, positioning technology-sports integration as a powerful engine for industrial innovation.
Against this backdrop, URKL's launch responds to the evolving needs of the embodied intelligence industry while reflecting EngineAI's commitment to China's innovation-driven development strategy.
A standout feature of the new league is the introduction of "Chinese Robot Kung Fu", a concept that blends traditional Chinese martial arts culture with global appeal. This cultural branding intends to showcase China's creative vision and technical prowess on the international stage.
The Ultimate Robot Knock-out Legend is launched in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Feb 9. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
In a move to attract elite global talent, Zhao announced that the URKL Championship Team would be awarded a solid-gold championship belt valued at 10 million yuan ($1.45 million). The reward is designed to symbolize both competitive victory and world-class engineering excellence.
According to the organizers, the league aims to serve as more than just a series of matches; it is envisioned as a rigorous proving ground for advanced robotics and an incubator for global technical talent.
By merging the worlds of technology, athletics, and culture, URKL aims to provide a global platform for collaboration across research, production, and investment, further cementing China's growing influence in the worldwide robotics landscape.
