A robot walks into a UFC arena, its shiny body glistening under the lights. This isn’t a pay-per-view fight; it’s Unitree Robotics’ G1, a 4.6-foot, 77-pound robot making its debut in a promotional exhibition sanctioned by UFC president Dana White.
Unitree Robotics, a Chinese company founded in 2016, has built a reputation for making agile and affordable robots. Their G1, priced at around $16,000, is a humanoid designed for research, inspection and now, apparently, stepping into the cage. Unlike their earlier quadruped models which have assisted in search-and-rescue missions, the G1 has a human-like body with 23 to 43 degrees of freedom depending on the configuration. Its joints are powered by a 9,000mAh battery that lasts up to 2 hours. The robot’s aluminum and carbon-fiber body can withstand falls, impacts and even a few punches.
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Dana White, the UFC’s outspokem icon, met with Unitree reps in early August 2025 to approve this exhibition. During the meeting, White tries to control one of these robots remotely and is clearly amused. Unitree’s team, led by CEO Xingxing Wang, positions the G1 as more than just a novelty by showing off its skills, including walking, balancing and pre-programmed combat moves.
This was Unitree to prove their G1 could do more than industrial tasks. For the UFC, it was a chance to tap into the tech crowd and test the waters for future events.
