Michigan man enters a San Francisco ring to fight a $100k Terminator robot. Then an onlooker screams as they square up: ‘It’s nice knowing you!’

Frankie LaPenna, a 28-year-old influencer from Michigan, walked into a San Francisco octagon on September 18 to face a robot built in the style of the Terminator. According to The Daily Mail, the six-foot machine weighed 200 pounds and belonged to Robot Entertainment Kombat. LaPenna, who has drawn attention online for videos of himself getting hurt and for his notably large backside, prepared to take on the unit.

The robot rose with red eyes glowing and its metal fists clenched. An onlooker in the crowd called out as the two faced each other in the center of the ring. “It’s nice knowing you!” the person screamed toward LaPenna. The influencer, who stands at 205 pounds, put on heavy facial gear before the match started.

LaPenna took the first two rounds and was declared the winner. The $100,000 robot still connected with several punches and delivered a kick powerful enough to send him sliding across the ring. After he spent a few seconds getting back up, the machine shook its limbs in a manner that appeared almost human. The robot is capable of producing 850 pounds of kick force.

State officials send a cease and desist after the human versus robot match

Five days later, the California Department of Consumer Affairs issued a cease and desist to Cix Liv, the CEO of Robot Entertainment Kombat and owner of the Terminator-style bot. The letter stated that the fight violated California boxing law because Liv had not sought permission in advance from the California State Athletic Commission. It also noted that hosting or promoting any contest without the required licensing is a misdemeanor.

Liv posted the letter on social media and added the caption, “We made it, boys.” LaPenna responded on X with the message, “Good work, Cix, you disrupted the system.” In comments to The New York Times, Liv described the letter as silly and pointed out that the law clearly states a match is between two persons. He said regulators could attempt to treat a humanoid as a human in order to apply the rules.

LaPenna later wrote that fighting the robot felt insane and called the situation a “crazy timeline we are on right now.” Before entering the ring he signed a waiver that released Robot Entertainment Kombat from liability if he died.

Liv told The Times that the goal had been to capture useful footage without actually hurting Frankie, and that LaPenna had contacted the company first to arrange the bout. Robots acting unpredictably around people has already raised alarm elsewhere, as with the dancing robot that spun toward spectators in China.

The Athletic Commission told the Daily Mail it considers the event unsanctioned and will not tolerate similar contests. Officials said they would examine possible new guidance as technology continues to develop. During the same night LaPenna faced three separate robots. He later wrote on X that the machines were “one firmware update away from having the strength of Francis Ngannou and the technique of Islam Makhachev.”

Robot Entertainment Kombat has organized other events in New York City, Los Angeles, Austin, Japan, and Canada. Those earlier matches featured two robots fighting each other, with human operators controlling the machines from outside the ring and no person inside the cage. The company currently has no fights on its schedule.