One of Bellator’s fastest growing stars, Valerie Loureda, is back in action at Bellator 259 as she sets her sights on moving to 4-0 with another spectacular performance. Loureda is set to meet Hannah Guy (2-1) in the cage opposite her on fight night. The 22-year old Loureda is more than excited to get back to the Bellator lights.
“I’m super excited,” Loureda began, speaking to Cageside Press recently. “I’ve developed a lot since my last fight. I gained momentum my last fight but I’m a better fighter now. This fight I’ll be calmer,” Loureda continued. “I trust myself more as a martial artist.”
Last time in the cage, Loureda landed a devastating blow on Tara Graff, who had previously called Loureda “nothing more than an instagram model” pre-fight. Recently, Graff was knocked out by Bellator newcomer Diana Avsaragova. We asked “Master” Loureda for her thoughts, and if she saw a possible fight in the future.
“I don’t know who that is,” Loureda told us when asked about Avsaragova. “I broke that girl’s [Graff] chin, whoever came after me had a super easy fight.”
Currently sitting at #8 in the women’s flyweight division, Loureda is excited to see her name in the inaugural Bellator rankings. The American Top Team product feels it brings respect to her name, but she still wants to prove it with her activity, and climb through the rankings.
“I love the rankings idea,” Loureda stated. “It makes me happy, people see my talent and potential. I’m not just an instagram model, an influencer, like everyone says. It gives me credibility, but I have a long way to go for that belt. It gives me a path, to be a future champion.”
Continuously mentioned as an “instagram model” or “tik tok star”, Loureda continues to prove her haters wrong with immense showings in the Bellator cage. She looks to add another to her resume in the sense of Hannah Guy on May 21.
“Hannah Guy is a lot more experienced than me,” Loureda stated. “She’s tough, good jiu jitsu, she will come right at me. She is nothing I haven’t seen before, whether in a fight or at American Top Team, nothing I haven’t seen before.”
At only 22 years of age, Loureda continues to amaze fans with her calm demeanor inside and out of the cage. Loureda told us about some of the plans she has outside of MMA, including reality TV, which she has already starred on once.
“I’m starting my own reality show,” Loureda began. “I’m starting my own makeup line. My own series. My own business. I have a lot lined up, I train two times a day, then I have all of this. I’m going to continue to shock the world.”
When asked how Bellator 259 will go down, Loureda kept it simple: “First round knockout.”
You can catch Loureda’s Bellator 259 media day appearance below.
