Bellator MMA fighter Valerie Loureda confirmed to ESPN today that she has signed a multi-year contract with WWE.
Loureda is set to move to Orlando from Miami before reporting to the WWE Performance Center on July 19. She will remain under contract with Bellator MMA for the time being.
“I’m an entertainer,” Loureda said. “I love glamor. 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.”
“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.”
Loureda said she attended WrestleMania 38 and immediately fell in love with wrestling so she had a tryout in late April and early May with WWE. She then called her manager, Abe Kawa of First Round Management.
“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.”
WWE coaches reportedly praised Loureda’s ability in the ring and view her as a high-ceiling talent after her tryout, which included a match.
“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,” Bellator President Scott Coker told ESPN 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 said her goal is to make WWE NXT 2.0 television by the end of 2022 and be on the WWE main roster within one year.
“I have big goals and I’m a little crazy,” Loureda said with a laugh. “I just know what I’m gonna be able to do in the WWE. There’s no limits. I’m limitless.”
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