Valerie
Loureda is the latest female mixed martial artist to take her
talents from the cage to the sports entertainment realm.
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The Bellator MMA competitor announced during “The MMA Hour”
that she is leaving the sport to sign with the WWE for a career in
professional wrestling.
“…I am now a WWE superstar,” Loureda said. “I’m really excited, and
I’ve dedicated my whole life to martial arts, and everything has
come to this moment. And this is my opportunity to showcase my
culture and entertain the world.
“I’m emotional because I’ve worked really hard in my whole life.
I’ve had a very hard upbringing, and every day, I’ve always just
believed in myself, and trained hard hoping to make it to the next
step and just chasing a dream that I’ve had in my heart since I was
a baby.”
The 23-year-old Loureda compiled a 4-1 record in Bellator MMA and
fought as recently as November 2021, taking a split decision over
Taylor
Turner at Bellator 271. The taekwondo black belt trained at
American Top Team and finished two of her professional victories
inside the distance. Loureda credited Bellator for giving her an
opportunity to make a name for herself.
“Scott Coker and Mike Kogan, they believed in me when I was 19
years old,” Loureda said. “My first professional fight was without
shinguards at the Mohegan Sun, opening a main card. They gave me an
opportunity opening a main card. They gave me an opportunity to
brand myself and build this platform … and just be me. Now, I’m
making this transition, and my mind has shifted, but I know what
I’m going to do in the WWE, and I’m just really excited to start my
journey.”
While Loureda seems to have moved on from MMA, Coker released a
statement to
MMAFighting.com confirming that the fighter will remain under
Bellator contract.
“Valerie
Loureda is a very young and talented athlete who can accomplish
plenty in MMA for years to come, but for now we wish her the best
of luck as she pursues her dream of becoming a WWE Superstar,”
Coker said. “She will remain an active and under contract fighter
with Bellator, and we look forward to welcoming her back into the
cage in the near future. We take great pride in allowing our
athletes to test themselves in additional arenas such as boxing and
pro wrestling.”