WWE Officially Signs Bellator MMA Fighter Valerie Loureda

WWE has officially signed MMA prospect Valerie Loureda. In doing so, she became the first Cuban-American woman to sign with the WWE.

Marc Raimondi of ESPN reported the news; he wrote that she will report to the WWE Performance Center on July 19. She will still be under contract with Bellator despite her transition to WWE. Raimondi also interviewed Loureda, who expressed her love of glamour, storytelling, and production, so WWE was the perfect fit for her.

“I’m an entertainer,” Loureda said. “I love glamour. I love production, I love storytelling. And when I saw the WWE, I realized this is everything I’m good at in one place. Not only that, but I saw the opportunity to be the first Cuban American woman to be a WWE superstar.”

Loureda had a tryout in late April and early April after she attended WrestleMania 38, which caught her attention as she was drawn by the spectacle of WWE’s live events. Loureda recalled how she told her manager that she didn’t want to leave after her tryout because she wanted to keep honing her craft.

“I said, ‘Abraham, I know I don’t have a contract, but is there any way I can stay here? I’m losing a week of training,'” Loureda said “I just want to get better.”

Raimondi also cited sources who noted that WWE coaches think highly of Loureda as a talent and view her as a “heigh-ceiling talent.”

Loureda went on to describe how she “fell in love” with WWE at WrestleMania 38.

“The moment I stepped into the suite and I saw the WWE organization, the professionalism and the production, I fell in love,” Loureda said. “I had goosebumps like the first time I saw MMA on the TV.”

According to Raimondi, the WWE newcomer made it clear that she wants to be on NXT television by the end of the year, and she hopes to arrive on the main roster within a year of her debut.

“I have big goals and I’m a little crazy,” Loureda said. “I just know what I’m gonna be able to do in the WWE. There’s no limits. I’m limitless.”

Earlier in June, Sean Ross Sapp reported that WWE was planning on signing her, and now the deal is official.

As noted, Loureda will remain under contract with Bellator. She has a 4-1 record, and she hasn’t fought since November 2021, when she defeated Taylor Turner by split decision.

Update: In a tweet, Loureda commented on the news:

“I am honored to become the first Cuban American woman in history to sign with the WWE,” wrote Loureda. “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″

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