5 opponents for Valerie Loureda in Bellator
‘Master’ Valerie Loureda has become a very popular fighter in a short period of time in Bellator. The 4th Dan taekwondo black belt has gained a large following since making her debut in 2019.
2021 was a year of growth for the American Top Team product as she suffered her first pro loss at Bellator 259. However, she rebounded from that loss and made changes to her training camp. She brought in former UFC title-challenger Thiago Alves as her new coach and got back in the win column. The taekwondo specialist defeated veteran Taylor Turner by split-decision at Bellator 271 in what ended up being an entertaining back-and-forth fight.
There are some intriguing matchups for ‘Master’ and 2022 could see her establish herself in the division. This list will look at five opponents for Valerie Loureda in Bellator.
#5. Loureda vs. Alejandra Lara
An opponent that would make sense for the 23-year-old is seventh-ranked Bellator women’s flyweight Alejandra ‘Azul’ Lara. The former title-challenger has experienced her fair share of ups-and-downs in the promotion thus far. She is 3-4 in Bellator, but has experience competing with top fighters in the division.
Despite Lara being more experienced, she is currently coming off back-to-back losses. With that being said, it would make sense if Bellator matched her up with ‘Master’ next. The fight would give the promotion a better idea on whether the rising star can hold her own against a top-10 opponent.
Their styles would make for an intriguing fight standing-up as Lara has a karate background. Since both are strikers, one could also try catching their opponent off guard by taking the fight to the ground.