As the 6ft tall 'Terminator' rose up into the octagon, its eyes glowed red and its metal fists were clenched while its human opponent looked on. 

'It's nice knowing you!' an onlooker yelled to influencer Frankie LaPenna, as man and machine squared up in the center of the ring.

The dystopian moment was the first-of-its-kind, and potentially the last, in San Francisco, as the California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) deemed the fight in violation of its boxing law. It issued a damning cease and desist to Cix Liv, the CEO of Robot Entertainment Kombat (REK) and owner of the Terminator-style bot. 

But that didn't stop the moment from going mega viral, just five days before the letter was sent out. 

On September 18, LaPenna, famous for his Kim Kardashian-style derriere, smiled for a photo opportunity before donning heavy facial protection in preparation for the now-deemed-illegal match. 

A 205-pound human against REK's 200-pound T800 Terminator-inspired machine, which has a kick force of 850 pounds. 

The first two rounds went to LaPenna, winning him the fight, but not before the $100,000 REK robot got a few good jabs in, including when it managed to kick LaPenna with enough strength to send the 205-pound man barreling across the ring.

As the influencer took a few seconds to get off the floor, the robot shook its mechanical limbs out, preparing for another go with an almost humanlike swagger. 

Afterward, LaPenna admitted that actually fighting a robot was 'insane.' 

'Crazy timeline we are on right now,' wrote LaPenna, who had to sign a waiver stating if he died, REK would not be liable for his death.

Despite the viral online success, DCA declared the fight unsanctioned and said Liv had not sought prior permission from the California State Athletic Commission, which controls all boxing matches in the state. 

In the letter, which Liv posted to social media, the commission's Executive Officer Andy Foster reminded the CEO that it was a misdemeanor to host or promote any contest without licensing. 

'We made it, boys,' Liv captioned the post. 

'Good work, Cix, you disrupted the system,' LaPenna said on X. 

Liv argued to The New York Times that the letter was silly, as the 'law clearly states that a match is between two persons.'

He said regulators could try to justify calling a humanoid a human. 

The CEO also said the company had no plans to recreate its viral success with another human-humanoid fight, and that LaPenna had been the one to reach out to them about scheduling the fight. 

'Our hope was to basically get some good shots without actually hurting Frankie,' he told The Times. 

The Athletic Commission told the Daily Mail in a statement that it stands on the fight being considered unsanctioned and it will 'not be tolerated.'

It also said it would consider new guidance as technology evolves. 

LaPenna, who fought three different robots during the fight night, said on X that the machines were 'one firmware update away from having the strength of Francis Ngannou and the technique of Islam Makhachev.' 

Ngannou is a Cameroonian boxer who is known for his impressive strength, while Makhachev is a Russian mixed martial artist who has only lost one fight. 

REK has hosted several fights across the US, including in New York City, Los Angeles and Austin. It also hosted fights in Japan and Canada. 

The fights, however, took place between two robots, which are operated by a human, without any human in the ring. 

The technology company does not have any fights currently scheduled to take place. 

LaPenna first gained notoriety for posting silly videos, often of him getting hurt, and through the conversations his plump behind stirred, as many have questioned if it is a prosthetic.

The 28-year-old Michigander has 3.1 million followers on Instagram and 9.6 million on YouTube. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to LaPenna, REK, and the California Department of Consumer Affairs for comment.