Bellator muse follows in Ronda Rousey's footsteps, leaves MMA and signs with WWE

V. Loureda had five professional fights at Bellator. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

Bellator lost one of its great MMA promises. Last Monday (27), Valerie Laureda, 23, admitted her retirement from mixed martial arts to dedicate herself to pro-wrestling. In an interview with 'The MMA Hour', the fighter revealed that she had signed a contract with the renowned WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment).

“Now, I’m a WWE star. I'm very excited and I've dedicated my entire life to martial arts. Everything brought me to this moment. It’s an opportunity to show my culture and entertain the world,” said the athlete.

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Now, Valerie's former boss, Scott Coker, president of Bellator, wished the fighter luck. The 'boss' was full of praise for his pupil.

“Valerie Loureda is a young and talented athlete, who can achieve a lot in MMA in the years to come. However, for now, we wish her the best of luck and that she achieves her dream of becoming a WWE star”, said the president, who made a point of highlighting, to 'MMA Fighting', that, even 'from a new home' , the combatant will remain linked to Bellator.

A professional in MMA since 2019, Valerie is considered a 'child' of the organization chaired by Scott. In five professional appearances with the company, Loureda accumulated four triumphs and one setback.

Her last fight took place in November 2021. At the time, the fighter beat Taylor Turner in a split decision from the judges.

In the footsteps of Ronda Rousey

R. Rousey won the WWE belt. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram Ronda Rousey

Even with a modest trajectory in mixed martial arts, Valerie follows in the footsteps of Ronda Rousey, one of the biggest stars in the history of women's MMA. After winning the bantamweight title (up to 61,2kg) in Strikeforce and UFC, the fighter ended her career in mixed martial arts in 2016.

Outside of Ultimate, the fighter was presented as a new WWE attraction, debuting in 2018. There, the blonde went on to win a title and, even today, is one of the references in the company.

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