Valerie Loureda dedicates Bellator 259 fight to memory of grandfather, who currently died from COVID-19

By Danny Segura and Nolan King |

Might possibly 19, 2021 6: 30 pm

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Valerie Loureda has long past thru a disturbing time earlier to her MMA return at Bellator 259.

The Bellator females’s flyweight prospect makes her fourth legitimate look this Friday against Hannah Man (2-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) on the preliminary card at Mohegan Sun Arena. Loureda (3-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) has dealt with hurt, besides to a private tragedy earlier to the competition.

“Once I modified into making ready for a fight in December, I obtained lower; 20 stitches thru the muscle, and I needed to let that heal on account of if not, that might well originate very without complications, and I’m very young mute,” Loureda advised MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s Bellator 259 media day. “Then, Bellator signed with Showtime, and your total fights obtained pushed to April. Then in April, once I went to fight, I obtained COVID, and all my family obtained COVID. My grandfather handed away from COVID. He obtained it on the neatly being facility, so it’s been rough. But I needed to push thru. I needed to abet practising laborious, and here I am.”

The pandemic has been rough for many of us all the draw in which thru the field, as it’s taken a phenomenal toll on many lives and the households which maintain misplaced loved ones. Loureda admits it modified into grand to address the loss of her grandfather while making ready for Bellator 259 nonetheless feels persevering along with her profession would’ve been her grandfather’s desire.

“With out a doubt this modified into a laborious one on account of I couldn’t utilize time with my grandfather or contact him sooner than he handed away,” Loureda acknowledged. “It modified into true very defective, and it traumatized me. I went thru a little bit depression after that, nonetheless I needed to fetch out of it, and I needed to abet taking a maintain a study my future, my profession, and what he would’ve wanted me to attain. I trained laborious, misplaced the burden, and I’m here engaging, ready to fight this girl.”

Loureda is role to fetch a victory on Friday night time and dedicate the resolve on to her grandfather, as neatly for your total households who maintain faced adversity thru the coronavirus pandemic.

“This fight is fully devoted to my grandfather and your total households that misplaced their loved ones due to COVID,” Loureda acknowledged.