Bellator MMA flyweight fighter “Master” Valerie Loureda has signed with WWE.
We noted back on June 1 how WWE was expected to sign Loureda, if she hadn’t inked her deal already. Loureda had been training at the WWE Performance Center as recently as mid-May. Loureda reportedly made a great impression with WWE officials and was described as a “slam dunk” to end up in the company. Loureda previously participated in a week-long tryout at the WWE Performance Center, but she has been training in Florida under former WWE star Gangrel, Neilo Costa, and others, since WrestleMania 38. Loureda has also been seen with NXT talents as of late, including her friend Nikkita Lyons, and word was that she’s done well.
In an update, Loureda appeared on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani today and announced that she is leaving MMA for WWE. You can see footage from her interview below.
Loureda then took to Twitter this afternoon and commented on the big news, posting photos with a Money In the Bank briefcase.
“I am honored to become the first Cuban American woman in history to sign with the WWE. I come from a family of immigrants, now it’s my time to represent our Latin culture, I was destined for this. Thank you for this opportunity @WWE @WWENXT I will make you proud. AZUCAR! #305,” she wrote.
WWE Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy & Development Paul “Triple H” Levesque also tweeted on the signing, and welcomed Loureda to the company. He said he can’t wait to have Loureda start training at the WWE Performance Center and make her impact at WWE NXT 2.0.
“An incredibly driven young woman working hard in sport and business to make a name for herself and her family. Cannot wait to have Valerie start training at the @WWEPC and make her impact in @WWENXT! Welcome to @WWE!,” he wrote.
It was noted before how Bellator reportedly wanted to keep Loureda on the roster, so her deal will be on hold and would resume if she’s released by WWE, but there’s no word yet on if that still stands. Bellator announced in mid-August 2020 that Loureda signed a multi-year, multi-fight contract extension with the promotion.
Loureda, who is affiliated with the American Top Team camp, currently has a pro MMA record of 4 wins and 1 loss. Her last fight was a win over Taylor Turner at Bellator 271 on November 12, 2021. She made her pro debut at Bellator 216 on February 16, 2019 with a win over Colby Fletcher, then defeated Larkyn Dasch at Bellator 222 on June 14, 2019, and then she defeated Tara Pagano at Bellator 243 on August 7, 2020. Her only loss was to Hannah Guy at Bellator 259 on May 21, 2021. Her amateur MMA record is 2 wins and 1 loss.
The 23 year old Loureda stands at 5 foot 4 inches, and 127.6 pounds. She graduated from Florida International University, and fights out of Miami. Her main foundation style is Taekwondo. Loureda also does modeling, acting, and broadcast TV work.
WWE also confirmed the signing, writing on their website, ” MMA rising sensation Valerie Loureda announced today on the Ariel Helwani’s show ‘MMA Hour’ that she has officially signed a contract to join WWE. Affectionately known as ‘Master’ for her in-ring skill, the 23-year-old compiled a 4-1 MMA record while fighting in Bellator. An international Taekwondo champion and black belt, Louredo has already made waves in the MMA world with her infectious personality and social media presence. Be sure to follow along with Loureda’s WWE journey across all WWE and NXT social media channels.”
You can see a photo from Loureda’s first official WWE photo shoot below.
Stay tuned to WrestlingHeadlines.com for more on Loureda. You can see the related posts, photos and video below:
I am honored to become the first Cuban American woman in history to sign with the WWE. I come from a family of immigrants, now it’s my time to represent our Latin culture, I was destined for this. Thank you for this opportunity @WWE @WWENXT I will make you proud. AZUCAR! #305 pic.twitter.com/sQ351nuxR8
— Valerie Loureda (@valerielouredaa) June 29, 2022
BREAKING: As first announced on @arielhelwani's "MMA Hour," MMA star @valerielouredaa has officially signed with #WWENXT https://t.co/dDdOHvc96A pic.twitter.com/uNXzuduUVn
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) June 29, 2022
.@valerielouredaa is leaving MMA to sign with WWE ✍️
The now-wrestler got emotional while breaking the news to @arielhelwani on #TheMMAHour
▶️ https://t.co/uAeJJvpgpx pic.twitter.com/lSnsufVFA1
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) June 29, 2022
https://twitter.com/King_CurP/status/1542244881350987791
An incredibly driven young woman working hard in sport and business to make a name for herself and her family.
Cannot wait to have Valerie start training at the @WWEPC and make her impact in @WWENXT! Welcome to @WWE! https://t.co/BWHPL1wahy
— Triple H (@TripleH) June 29, 2022
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