Honorable Mention: Kingdom (2014-17 TV series)
Stars: Frank Grillo, Jonathan Tucker, Matt Lauria, Nick Jonas, Joanna Going
MMA cameos: Joe Stevenson, Kenny Florian, Frank Trigg, Matt Hughes, Jenn Brown, Greg Jackson, Heidi Androl, Heather Jo Clark, Cub Swanson, Pearl Gonzalez, Justine Kish, Jay Hieron
Rotten Tomatoes critics score: 80 (Season 1)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96
How to watch it: Audience Network (Directv) on demand
Key review: “‘Kingdom’ isn’t the next great television show about sports. It’s just a really great television show.” – Samantha Highfill, Entertainment Weekly
Synopsis: OK, this is a TV series – so we’re kind of cheating here. But it seems unfair to have all these really bad movies on this list and not mention something that truly was very, very good. It’s essentially a family drama using the world of MMA in Venice Beach, Calif., as its backdrop. Alvey runs a gym and will do just about anything to make sure his fighters and family succeed. There are some standout performances from many, in particular big MMA fan Tucker. Joe Stevenson and Greg Jackson served as creative/fight consultants over the show’s three-season run.
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