Dana White left in disbelief as MMA robot built for China’s G1 fighting league ignores protocol at UFC Shanghai demo | International Sports News
A robot turned on UFC boss Dana White during a live demo in Shanghai on August 23, 2025. The robot, made by Chinese company Unitree, was meant to show a safe martial arts demo. Instead, one of its G1 humanoid models ignored the plan and confronted White. He ran away and was not hurt. The event made people talk online about how robots can be hard to control.
Dana White faces unexpected robot move at UFC Shanghai demo goes viral
Unitree, a robotics company from Zhejiang province, was showing off its G1 humanoid robots at a UFC event in Shanghai. The show was part of the UFC Shanghai fight weekend. Unitree had brought two G1 models to show “robot-fu” or robot martial arts. In May, those same G1 robots had competed in the “Mecha Fighting Series” at the World Robot Competition in Hangzhou.The robots rise to about four feet tall, weigh around 35 kg (about 77 lb), and can move fast with good balance. People were curious to see them strike and move like humans.During the demo, one of the robots did not follow the planned moves. It moved toward Dana White instead of stepping back. White dodged away without getting hurt. He looked shaken but safe. The clip of that moment blew up online.Also Read: Syko Stu GoFundMe Fundraiser Crosses $50,000 Following Violent Raja Jackson Wrestling Attack
Unitree G1 humanoid robots gain attention after Shanghai fight show
The G1 robot from Unitree had already achieved fame in robot fighting events. Unitree hosted a live robo-fight competition called “Iron Fist King” at its Hangzhou factory in late May, where teams steered G1 robots in a circle. They demonstrated lightning-fast responses in real-time as well as powerful strikes and kicks. Unitree’s G1 bots and other technology teams demonstrated humanoid robots boxing, knee strikes, and fluid movements as well at the 2025 Shanghai China World Artificial Intelligence Conference. The crowd was amazed by the robots’ human-like speed.The viral Shanghai moment has now fueled global debates on robot safety, AI control, and whether unpredictable machines should be trusted in live sports shows, entertainment, or future public demonstrations.
