It’s perhaps appropriate that a television family drama set in the world of MMA might struggle to get the respect it deserves.

After all, that’s what the sport itself has gone through for years. To wit: On the show page for “Kingdom” at Rotten Tomatoes, the one-sentence description for the critics’ consensus is that it “offers a new, well-acted take on the boxing genre.”

Boxing. Not MMA. Sigh.

The good news is, “Kingdom,” over its three seasons, has been a critical darling, checking in at 79 percent at the aforementioned Rotten Tomatoes, and an even bigger hit with the fans, who have it rated with a stellar 92 percent audience score at the site.

Tonight, “Kingdom” closes out its three-year, 40-episode run with the series finale on Audience Network (available exclusively on DIRECTV and AT&T U-verse platforms) at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

In the fall of 2014, “Kingdom” premiered with a 10-episode run. The show was the brainchild of Byron Balasco, who wanted to make a family drama set against the backdrop of the world of mixed martial arts.

The show centers around a the Navy St. MMA gym in Venice Beach, Calif., run by former fighter Alvey Kulina (Frank Grillo). His sons, played by Nick Jonas and Jonathan Tucker, both are fighters. All their lives are filled with out-of-the-cage drama. But when the cage door closes, the MMA scenes are just about as real as it gets, to borrow from the UFC.

And that is owed to the technical advisers on board throughout the series, including Joe “Daddy” Stevenson and Greg Jackson. Plus, the show has featured dozens and dozens of real-life fighters. Tonight’s series finale features Alvey in his comeback fight against none other than UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes.

Balasco said his goal with the series was to stay true to the MMA world and to honor the fighters who make their living in the sport. Judging from the near-universal high praise for the series from fans, as well as fighters and fight industry personalities, it seems he’s accomplished his goal.

Check out the video above to hear from Balasco ahead of tonight’s “Kingdom” Season 3 finale and series finale. And if you haven’t had a chance to see the show, the series is available on demand through Directv and AT&T Uverse.

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