MMA Fighter

Valerie Loureda | Biography

Valerie has played Ninja Body Double in the 2015 fantasy television series 'Ninja Bitch Killer'

• By Reena Chikanbanjar
• Original : September 23, 2021

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Valerie Loureda is a Bellator MMA fighter. She is a 4th Dan Master in Olympic-style Taekwondo.

Who is Valerie Loureda?

Valerie Loureda is a fighter, dancer, and model. She debuted on Bellator MMA in February 2019. Loureda rose to fame after her knockout victory at Bellator 243, followed by a post-fight ebullient victory dance in the middle of the ring in August 2020. 

Early Bio and Family

Valerie Loureda was born on 19 July 1998 in the United States to Mily and Frank Loureda. Her father founded Master Franks Taekwondo Academy in Miami in 1985. According to mmafighting.com, he helped change the life trajectories of thousands of children in Miami, including his daughters, by teaching them discipline and self-worth. Her mother was preparing for her black belt test while pregnant with Valerie. Valerie has two younger sisters. 

Getting Into Taekwondo

Growing up in an athletic family, Valerie’s interest in Taekwondo developed at a very tender age. Her father was the one who fostered her into the combative techniques. As a child, she would appear on a morning television show with her father to teach self-defense. 

On the other hand, her mother wanted to put her in activities like ballet, piano, and ice skating. Loureda had to decide at a very young age to choose between dance and combat. According to Valerie, she chose the latter but also embraced the former along the way.

“I was going to be a taekwondo fighter, but at the same time my mom wanted me to be very elegant and beautiful. My mom, she made me that. In taekwondo back then, I’d have my ballerina leggings on under my taekwondo pants. I’d take those off and go straight to the competition for the dance team. That’s how it was…I choose taekwondo because I can’t live a day of my life without martial arts,” Valerie told mmafighting.com in January 2019.

At 14, when Valerie was preparing for the Olympic qualifier, her mother was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. As his father was taking care of her mother, she had to look after her sister that ultimately held her back on the Olympic qualifier.

Education

Loureda graduated with a degree in Broadcast Journalism from Florida International University in 2020.

Career

Valerie debuted her career taking part in a couple of amateur fights in Miami as a part of the American Top Team. She won one and lost one fight. For Valerie, her debut as an amateur was the best experience of her life as she felt comfortable and free as a martial artist. In the second match, she learned that she was a natural wrestler. “In taekwondo there was always something more I felt I needed, and MMA it’s all in there for me,” she explained.

She then relocated from Miami to Coconut Creek, the headquarters of the American Top Team, for her third match. On 22 September 2018, she fought Hanna Jackson at Combat Night - Combat Night Pro 7 and defeated Jackson via decision.

Bellator MMA

Two months later, Valerie was approached by Bellator MMA with a contract. She then made her Bellator debut on 15 February 2019 at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. As a Bellator taekwondo master, Valerie defeated Colby Fletcher at Bellator 216 on 17 February 2019 via knockout/technical knockout. On 15 June 2019, she defeated Larkyn Dasch at Bellator 222 via unanimous decision. She also won her fight against Tara Graff at Bellator 243 on 8 August 2020 via knockout.

Her post-fight ebullient victory dance went viral on her Instagram, attracting over a million views. After defeating Graff, Valerie earned a multi-year, multi-fight contract with Bellator. She shared the excitement of her new contract with a twerk video, which also went viral on social media. 

Later, Valerie lost a fight against Hannah Guy at Bellator 259 on 22 May 2021 by unanimous decision. 

Acting Career

Valerie has played Ninja Body Double in the 2015 fantasy television series Ninja Bitch Killer, directed and written by Rafael Diaz-Wagner. 

As per Valerie, after defeating Graff in August 2020, she became popular on social media and was approached by several Hollywood talent agents to get her to the entertainment industry. However, she rejected them as her primary goal at that time was fighting and winning the fights, she told TMZ in October 2020.

Height and Weight

Valerie stands tall at 5’4” tall (1.63 meters). She weighs 125.8 lbs, as per tapology.com.

Social Media

Valerie actively engages in several social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter. She has 829k followers on her Instagram account and over 129k followers on Twitter as of September 2021.