Valerie Loureda wants to break the female fighter stereotype using Instagram
Instagram model and MMA fighter Valerie Loureda is on a journey to change the way female MMA athletes are viewed by mainstream society.
Although MMA has become the worlds fastest growing sport and broadcasted on cable networks such as Paramount and ESPN, many people still associate the sport as a male-only sport.
Valerie has a 2-0 MMA record and is scheduled to fight this weekend at Bellator 243.
The popular prospect is looking to break the women’s fighter stereotype through the use of her social media and other social media platforms.
“I think that a woman should know how to defend herself, and one thing doesn’t have to do with the other,” Loureda explained in Spanish on MMA Junkie. “When I step into training, I transform. I forget about the makeup, I forget about the hair, I forget about my eyelashes, and my focus is on fighting and defending myself. Outside of the sport, I go home and I’m super girly-girl. I like going to the mall. I have my hair done. I put on my eyelashes, and it’s not for all women, but I want to send a message that you can be sexy and elegant and be able to step in a cage and fight – be able to defend yourself.”
With over 250,000 followers, the 22-year old has a strong social media following. Being in the spotlight also means attention from critics.
“I don’t think you should be judging someone by how they look, and this is a problem we have in MMA,” Loureda said. “There’s a stereotype of women in this sport, and I can help change that.
“I’m a dancer, but at the same time I did tae kwon do, and no one can take that away from me. The way I am, and that’s with my dancing and fighting, that’s what makes me happy. That’s how I show women I can do that and no one should judge you. I want other women to look at that and say, ‘That sport is not only for men. I can be elegant, pretty, feminine, and still be a strong woman in the cage.’
“That’s who I am, and no one is going to take that way from me. I know the message that I’m going to send. The way girls look up to me and send me messages saying they now want to learn self-defense because they no longer think this is a sport for men only, that makes me happy. And that’s one of my motivations to keep winning, so I show the world that you can be that way and be a champion in this sport.”
Still, young in the sport Loureda remains focused.
“The public gives me a lot of negative comments and it’s very easy for someone my age, 22 years old, to give into that and get influenced by it,” Loureda said. “But that’s something that I do. I block that and I barely look at the comments because I’m focused on my goal and my dream and I know that I’m going to reach it. The moment I step in the cage and get another incredible knockout, it’s going to shut people’s mouths.”
