An American who says you can be feminine and still fight, scored a highlight-reel buzzer-beating knockout at a Bellator MMA show
- Valerie Loureda, 22, scored a highlight-reel stoppage over Tara Graff at the Bellator 243 show Friday.
- Loureda dropped Graff with a powerful punch, then attacked her with ground-and-pound on the floor.
- She then danced a jig in the middle of the cage, mounted the fence, and said in her post-fight interview that people should be allowed to be who they want to be.
- Loureda's message was aimed at those who had criticized her for "selling sex not MMA" in Instagram posts which were perceived to be inappropriate.
An American who says you can be feminine and still fight, scored a highlight-reel buzzer-beating knockout at a Bellator MMA show Friday.
Valerie Loureda, an up-and-coming mixed martial artist who trains out of the American Top Team facility in Miami, extended her undefeated record to three wins (two knockouts and one decision).
She beat Tara Graff on the preliminary card of the behind-closed-doors Bellator 243 event at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.
Loureda, 22, was a strong favorite heading into Bellator's second pandemic era event, and the gulf in ability became apparent because of her evasive posturing and her punching power.
Mere moments before the end of the second round, Loureda floored Graff with an almighty whack before securing the finish with merciless ground-and-pound.
She screamed in celebration, danced in the middle of the cage, then mounted the fence and held her hand up in victory.
Watch it unfold right here:
"Today, I proved a lot to myself," Loureda said after her second-round stoppage win. "I had not fought in a year … I felt doubt, ring rust, but I did not want to make that reality. I was calm, patient, and I'm proud of that performance."
She added: "I want the fans, and other young women to know … don't let anyone tell you what you can and can't be. You can be beautiful, girly, have your nails done, and painted — I chipped a nail.
"You could have your eyelashes on, you can wear your heels and tight dresses and go out at night, but as long as you spar hard in the morning you can be a professional fighter. And don't let anyone or any other woman tell you otherwise."
Though Loureda remains an MMA novice, she has been cultivating a substantial social media following on Instagram — something which has been criticized by one of her peers, Macy Chiasson.
The UFC bantamweight Chiasson rebuked one of Loureda's social media posts in May by asking whether that was the message she wanted to convey when there are already so many "disgusting … misogynistic dudes out here."
Loureda had been posted Instagram content like this:
Loureda told Chiasson: "You can be strong feminine and sexy and still be a bad bitch in a male-dominated industry."
To which Chiasson replied: "You're selling sex not mma."
Loureda rejected the accusation and told Chiasson to "stop hating."
Elsewhere on the card, Sabah Homasi out-pointed Curtis Millender, Myles Jury edged Georgi Karakhanyan, and Timothy Johnson stopped Matt Mitrione.
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