Shenzhen-based EngineAI has opened global registration for URKL (Ultimate Robot Knock-out Legend), the world's first professional humanoid robot free-combat league. Teams from universities, enterprises, and research labs worldwide can now sign up through April 30.

How It Works

Every team competes using EngineAI's standardized T800 humanoid robot as the platform. The contest is explicitly "non-violent" - no destructive modifications allowed. Victory comes from superior motion control algorithms, balance strategies, and protective design rather than brute-force hardware upgrades.

Registration requires at least three members with skills in control systems, electronics, or mechanical design. Once accepted, teams receive the simulation platform and T800 models to train their fighting algorithms.

Prizes and Stakes

The championship purse is massive: 10 million yuan (roughly $1.39 million) for the winning team, with 2 million yuan for second and 1 million yuan for third. Every team reaching the Top 16 keeps their T800 robot outright, and the Top 8 finalists receive a fast-track hiring channel at EngineAI.

Road to the Finals

Qualifiers run through the second half of 2026, with regular season matches hosted at the Longgang FRL Robot Club in Shenzhen. The world championship finals are scheduled for December 2026 through January 2027.

The league launched on February 9 with backing from Thai boxing champion Buakaw Banchamek, positioning URKL as a fusion of combat sports spectacle and cutting-edge embodied AI research. EngineAI CEO Zhao Tongyang announced the championship belt will be made from 10 kilograms of pure gold.