Valerie Loureda Moves On With WWE

Valerie Loureda is officially switching gears.

The Bellator star announced on Monday’s “The MMA Hour” that she has signed a contract with WWE and will be stepping away from the cage.

“I have now become the first Cuban-American woman and I am now a WWE superstar,” Loureda told Ariel Helwani.

“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.”

Fightful Select reported earlier this month that Loureda was invited to Texas for WWE tryouts in April ahead of WrestleMania 38. She had previously teased that she would like to transition into WWE.

Now, Loureda is able to make that move, and Bellator President Scott Coker had no bad blood towards her decision.

“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 in a statement.

“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.”

Loureda, 23, made her debut in Bellator in February 2019 on the undercard of Bellator 216: MVP vs Daley.

She was successful and took out Colby Fletcher by KO/TKO in the first round. She recorded two more wins over Larkyn Dasch and Tara Graff before suffering her first pro loss against Hannah Guy.

She was able to return to the winning column with a split decision win against Taylor Turner on the undercard of Cyborg vs Kavanagh in November 2021.

“[Bellator] 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,” Loureda added.

“I love fighting, but this is my time.”