Cub Swanson fights Nick Jonas, Disney pop star walks right through spinning back kick

Disney pop star Nick Jonas has a supporting role in the upcoming mixed martial arts (MMA) television drama "Kingdom," which stars "Friday Night Lights" Matt Lauria and Frank Grillo, who also played a key role in the recent MMA movie "Warrior."

The project received a 10-episode series order from DirecTV and comes billed as a family drama set against the backdrop of an MMA gym in Venice Beach, Calif., and will debut tonight (Weds., Oct. 8, 2014) at 9 p.m. ET on the Audience channel (239).

Cub Swanson, who appears in tonight's pilot, talks to Desert Sun:

"The actors did a really good job training and learning all the moves the best they could in a few weeks of training. I had to come in and carry the load as much as possible so we both look good."

Swanson said he could pull his punches within an inch-and-a-half of his target. When Swanson got that close to Jonas, he was asked to pull the punches even further back. When Swanson pulled it six inches back, directors requested to pull back even further.

"Nick didn't care, he was like, 'Go for it.' And during the fight scenes, in some of the moves, I hit him harder than I wanted to." Swanson said one of the blows was a spinning back kick that landed on Jonas' chest, but that Jonas was able to shake it off.

Now it's time to fight for real.

Swanson (21-5) will attempt to solidify his place as the second best 145-pounder in the world when he takes on lightweight import Frankie Edgar at the upcoming UFC Fight Night 57 event on FOX Sports 1, which takes place on Nov. 22, 2014 inside Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas (more on that here).

Defeating "The Answer" in "The Lone Star State" would make it seven straight for the old fiery featherweight slugger.

And still one behind Conor McGregor.