A humanoid robot fighting club is planned for Shanghai's Baoshan district in October; no date yet
Speaking at URKL's 19 September Shanghai event, an organiser said a permanent robot fighting club would open at Baoshan Smart Bay in October. No date, format or ticketing has been published.
A humanoid robot fighting club is planned to open in Shanghai's Baoshan district this month, according to statements made at URKL's Shanghai event in September. No opening date has been published, and as of 13 October 2026 Roboxing has found no announcement that it has opened.
WHAT WAS SAID
At the URKL City Tour Challenge in Shanghai on 19 September, held at Baoshan Gymnasium, Zhang Ying said the next step is to turn the event's technology validation, talent, brand and industry resources into a long-term link with Baoshan's existing robotics industry. In the Chinese-language report, Zhang is quoted as saying that "the world's first humanoid robot fighting club will appear at Baoshan Smart Bay in October". The People's Daily Online report, carried on Tencent News, gives the plan as regular events, cyber-themed consumer experiences and IP exhibition and operation, under a model of "AI technology plus embodied culture plus new consumption". A longer version of the quote, published by Sohu, adds merchandise and robot-themed pop-up stores to the list.
Outlets give Zhang different titles. The People's Daily Online text calls Zhang general manager of the Shanghai Robot Industrial Park. The Sohu text calls Zhang chairman of Shenqing Robotics (Shanghai), the company that organised the September event with the Baoshan district government. Roboxing reports the statement as Zhang's and does not resolve which title is current.
WHY IT MATTERS FOR THE CALENDAR
Every other URKL fixture on record so far has been a one-off: the Shenzhen opener on 16 July and the Shanghai tour stop on 19 September. A club that holds "regular" bouts would be the first permanent venue in the sport on record, if it opens as described. That is a plan, not a schedule. The reports give no day, no ticketing and no fight format, and the word "regular" is not defined.
WHAT IS NOT KNOWN
Whether the club will use the same EngineAI T800 machines as the URKL events is not stated in the reports Roboxing read. Whether its bouts will count toward URKL standings is not stated. EngineAI has not been quoted on the club in the sources read. Roboxing has listed it on the schedule as an announced event with no date, marked as reported rather than confirmed, and will update it when a date or a statement from the organisers appears.
SOURCES
People's Daily Online report on Tencent News, 19 September 2026. Sina Finance, 21 September 2026. Sohu, September 2026. All three are Chinese-language and Roboxing has translated the passages quoted here.