Humanoid robot fighting league makes debut in Shenzhen

A groundbreaking robot fighting league made its first debut on Thursday in Shenzhen, with humanoid machines trading punches in a real-world test of engineering.

The inaugural bout of the URKL, the world's first humanoid robot free fighting league, took place at Nanshan Cultural and Sports Center.

University teams from Tsinghua and the University of Hong Kong took part.

Martial-arts star Donnie Yen attended the event, describing it as "more stunning than movie special effects". He said the force and precision of the robot strikes were beyond belief.

The global finals are expected by late this year or early next year.

The champion will take home a golden belt valued at 10 million RMB.