MTV's amateur MMA docu-series 'Caged' debuts on Jan. 9

New York, NY (December 1, 2011) - MTV today announced its new docu-series "Caged" will premiere on Monday, January 9 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. "Caged" follows Daniel, Wes, Red (Jessica), and Danger, a diverse group of young adults in small town Louisiana, struggling to improve their lives and find their way in the world after high school graduation. For these young people, life in their small town is a constant uphill battle, with an unknown outcome for their future. But one thing lights up their weekend evenings: cage fighting.

The series will give an honest and powerful view into the world of passionate amateur MMA fighters and the women in their lives, both inside and outside of the cage. Their stories go much deeper than mixed martial arts, however; not only are they fighting to win in the ring, these young adults are also fighting to make something of themselves. "Caged" will also air internationally on MTV channels around the world starting May 2012.

Daniel, who grew up in a wealthy family and is nicknamed "Golden Boy," seems to have a perfect life. But it was marred forever when his first love was killed in an automobile accident several years ago. Since then, he's lost his way; he's still living with his parents, and has trouble connecting with his on-again, off-again girlfriend Brittani. Each time Daniel steps into the ring, he feels he needs to live up to the town's vision of him as a hero.

Smart and funny, Wes grew up as the underdog, but he managed to overcome a difficult childhood, work his way through college, and find a good, high-paying job. Still, he feels like he has to prove himself all over again in every fight. Wes has been dating Red on and off for three years, and despite their rocky relationship, they keep trying to make it work for the sake of their six-month old son Jaxon. Wes is determined to give his son a better childhood than he had.

While many of her friends would never think of leaving, Red dreams of a bigger life outside her small town for herself and her son Jaxon. But for now, her feelings for Wes, her son's father, keeps her tied to her hometown. She is busy juggling nursing school, caring for her son, and trying to find a balance between being young and being a mom. She is uncertain about her future with Wes, but is determined to learn to stand on her own two feet and not be dependent on anyone else.

Danger longs for his parents to be proud of him but struggles with the fact that he doesn't feel he has achieved anything that warrants it. His one goal is to make a living as a pro fighter. Although everyone else agrees that he's naturally gifted and truly talented in the ring, Danger can't see it in himself. And when family issues begin to boil over, he is torn in many directions and fears he may lose focus on his fighting career.

Viewers can go to MTV.com for cast photos, full episodes, sneak peeks, and exclusive interviews with the cast.

"Caged" is executive produced by Joke Fincioen and Biagio Messina of Joke Productions. Dave Sirulnick and Amy Bailey are executive producers for MTV. The series is from MTV's award-winning News and Docs department.