Unitree’s H2 Humanoid Throws Punches, Kicks, and Wins Robot Sparring

Unitree just showed its H2 humanoid trading blows in a robot sparring match — and winning. The six-foot machine hits with enough force to lift its smaller G1 opponent clean off the ground.

In new footage from Unitree, the H2 unloads punches, kicks, and a lifting knee strike, turning the session into a one-sided fight. The clip marks a change from polished acrobatics to full-contact sparring, with the larger robot dominating the exchange. 

Turning a demo into a beatdown

The video shows the H2 closing distance with deliberate footwork, firing off quick combinations as the G1 absorbs hit after hit. 

A clean knee drives the smaller robot upward, and any attempt at countermovement is smothered as the H2 keeps advancing. The setup is stripped of theatrics. No dramatic cuts or soundtrack, just a controlled ring where the bigger machine dictates the pace and leaves little doubt about who’s in charge.

Inside H2’s one-two

CNET notes that Unitree’s flashiest demos usually hide the real story in the fine print, and this sparring clip does exactly that. Beneath the hits is a full-body motion-capture suit feeding the robot human-level movement patterns, with video mirroring giving it the timing and flow needed for clean strikes and quick resets.

The G1’s newly wired-in hands also stand out. They look far more capable than the prototype versions shown earlier this year, giving close-range exchanges a level of control the older models couldn’t match.

Interesting Engineering (IE) adds the hardware context. H2 is a six-foot, 70-kg frame driven by 31 degrees of freedom and 360 N·m torque, plus upgraded 7-DOF arms that throw punches with a more natural arc and follow-through.

Control algorithms help the robot absorb recoil, stabilize between hits, and recover mid-motion, turning what used to be agility tests into a machine capable of delivering real power on demand.

From helpers to hitters

H2’s progress simply shows how much humanoid robots are improving and going beyond greeting guests and helping around the house. 

EngineAI is already leaning into that shift. Its latest T800 demo shows the company’s CEO getting knocked flat by a confirmed physical kick, shutting down CGI accusations and building hype for an upcoming “Robot Boxer” event.

AgiBot is pushing in the same direction. Its Lingxi X2 has been shown running martial-arts-style routines, mixing kicks, pivots, and rapid recoveries that look less like calibration tests and more like drills for controlled combat.

The robot fight theme is now showing up on big stages, too. The World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2025 in Shanghai, for instance, showcased over 150 humanoid robots and staged a humanoid boxing match between two Unitree G1 models. The humanoids clashed with real-time AI-driven jabs, hooks, counters, and autonomous recoveries. In San Francisco, a VR-powered robot fight club is taking shape in a warehouse off Van Ness.

It’s also worth noting that nearly every robot stepping into these combat demos is coming out of China. The country’s timeline — mass production by 2025, market leadership by 2027 — adds weight to these fighting displays.

As the country moves to scale up humanoid production, how will combat-ready robots fit into that future?

Find out which new humanoids are moving toward real roles in warehouses, factories, and homes.
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