5 facts you may not know about WWE's newest recruit Valerie Loureda

A few hours ago, MMA fighter Valerie Loureda announced that she had signed a multi-year contract with WWE.

After attending WrestleMania 38, Loureda participated in a WWE tryout in late April/early May, which she successfully passed. The 23-year-old will now join the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, to start her professional wrestling training.

Although Loureda may be known to MMA fans, the WWE Universe might not know much about her. Here are five facts you may not know about WWE's newest recruit Valerie Loureda.

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#5. Valerie Loureda initially didn't want to become a wrestler

Loureda attended WrestleMania 38

Before attending WrestleMania 38 earlier this year, Valerie Loureda was not interested in pursuing a wrestling career. However, things changed for her after her trip to The Show of Shows.

In an interview with ESPN, Loureda explained why she changed her mind about going to WWE:

"I'm an entertainer. 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. (...) The moment I stepped into the suite and I saw the WWE organization, the professionalism and the production, I fell in love. I had goosebumps like the first time I saw MMA on the TV," she said. [H/T: Diva Dirt]

Despite signing with Vince McMahon's company, Loureda will remain under contract with Bellator MMA.

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#4. Valerie Loureda worked as a waitress to support her MMA training

Valerie Loureda worked as a waitress to support her training

Before making a name for herself as an MMA fighter, Valerie trained at American Top Team. At the time, Loureda worked as a waitress at Tijuana Flats in Coral Springs, Florida, to support her training.

In 2020, she wrote about her struggles in a tweet, revealing that she cried when she finally signed a contract with Bellator MMA:

"I was training every morning and a waitress at night while being a full time college student. When I got my bellator contract I cried so much. One day my story will be told. Y’all don’t know anything. I am sooooooo determined to make it I swear I will," she wrote.

Before signing with Bellator, Loureda lived in a studio apartment without a kitchen. However, she finally bought her first house in 2021, as the 23-year-old revealed in an Instagram post:

"Just bought my first home at 22 years old. I am the happiest girl in the 🌎 right now. From being a waitress and amateur fighter in 2018 to becoming a homeowner in 2021 …. hard work, passion, discipline,and chasing my dream!!! Thank you to everyone!!!" Loureda explained.

Since joining Bellator, Loureda has had five fights. She has won four and lost one. Her only loss came against Hannah Guy in May 2021.

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#3. Valerie Loureda is the first Cuban-American female superstar in WWE history

After signing her multi-year contract with Vince McMahon's company, Valerie Loureda made history, becoming the first-ever Cuban-American female superstar in WWE.

In an interview with The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Loureda stated that she now has the opportunity to showcase her culture in WWE:

"I have now become the first Cuban-American woman...I am now a WWE superstar. I'm really excited. I dedicated my whole life to Martial Arts and I feel like everything has come to this moment and this is my opportunity to showcase my culture and show the world the entertainer that I am," she said. [H/T: Fightful]

As WWE usually changes most superstars' names after they join the company, Loureda expressed her desire to keep at least her last name to reflect her Cuban/Latina origins.

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#2. Valerie Loureda refused to have her own reality show

After defeating Tara Graff at Bellator 243, Valerie Loureda celebrated with a victory dance. The MMA fighter's dance soon went viral. She then received an offer to have her own reality show featuring her and her sister, Natalie, who is also a fighter.

In an interview with MMA Fighting, Loureda explained that she turned down the offer to focus on her MMA career:

"I was like, 'Hold on,' I'm going to be a little patient, because I'm 22 years old, and right now, I still need to focus 100 percent of my time into training. When I'm training, I'm training 100 percent. I'm a completely different person than I am outside of the gym. When I feel like the moment is right, I'm going to do something crazy different," she said.

Over the past few years, a few WWE Superstars have had their own reality shows, including The Bella Twins and The Miz & Maryse. Loureda could join the list in the coming years.

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#1. Valerie Loureda comes from a family of fighters

Valerie Loureda with her family

Before joining Bellator MMA, Valerie Loureda practiced Taekwondo. Her parents were also masters of the sport.

The 23-year-old's father was her trainer and grandmaster. In an interview with MMAjunkie, she disclosed that he trained her with old school methods. Loureda also revealed that her mother was pregnant with her during her black belt test:

"My mom was pregnant with me during her black belt test. I guess you could say I was kicking from before I was even born. It's in my blood. I haven't gone a day in my life without throwing a punch or a kick. It's who I am," she said.

Loureda was a member of the United States Olympic team. However, she later decided to ditch the sport and pursue a career in MMA.

After making a name for herself in Bellator MMA, Loureda currently aims to succeed in WWE. In her interview with The MMA Hour, she revealed that she plans to make it to the main roster within a year.