Chinese-built humanoid robots have shown off their ability to throw punches and dodge right hooks at the world’s first robotic kickboxing tournament.

The fighting wasn’t sophisticated or particularly aggressive, often appearing more like a ballet than a boxing match, but it marked a new milestone in the global race to build an ever more realistic humanoid robot.

Four fighting robots, which boxed one-on-one and in teams and were controlled remotely by ringside humans, competed in the China Media Group World Robot Competition on Sunday.

The tournament was held in Hangzhou, east China, and was broadcast by Chinese state news, which boasted of the AI-enabled robots being equipped with only domestically produced technologies.