WWE Superstar Valerie Loureda turns 24 on her first day in the company

Former Bellator fighter and WWE's latest MMA signing Valerie Loureda turns 24 years old on her first day at the Performance Center.

There was a lot of hype when it was confirmed that she signed with the company last month. She was one of the most sought-after female MMA fighters in the world with a 4-1 record.

Today she tweeted about her birthday, claiming that being with the promotion was the 'best birthday gift ever'.

Loureda is part of the American Top Team, an affliciation of MMA fighters across many promotions. The founder of the team is Dan Lambert, who along with some of his fighters has made numerous appearances in All Elite Wrestling. ATT member Paige VanZant has even signed with AEW.

The MMA star's signing brought about a lot of press for the company and was covered a lot by the media. She also stated that she was the company's first ever Cuban-American signing. After officially being confirmed as a WWE Superstar, she tweeted out -

"I am honored to become the first Cuban American woman in history to sign with the WWE. I come from a family of immigrants, now it’s my time to represent our Latin culture, I was destined for this. Thank you for this opportunity I will make you proud. AZUCAR!"

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WWE's history with MMA fighters

Despite not being an actual combat sport, WWE has seen several MMA fighters transition to sports entertainment.

The most popular example would be Brock Lesnar. The 10-time world champion signed with the UFC in 2008. He became the promotion's World Heavyweight Champion and has a 5-3 MMA record.

When talking about MMA's connection with pro-wrestling, one name that has to be mentioned is Ronda Rousey. MMA's first proper female star, she signed with Vince McMahon's company in 2018 after a successful UFC career. She has since won the RAW and SmackDown Women's Championships, won a Royal Rumble, and main-evented WrestleMania.

Another former WWE Champion who has had a successful MMA record is Bobby Lashley, who in his decade away from the company between 2007 and 2018 fought for various companies, including Bellator. A former member of the American Top Team, Lashley has an impressive 15-2 record in the Octagon.

Dan Severn and Ken Shamrock were two MMA stars who were a fixture of WWF's Attitude Era and both part of the UFC's early days. Shamrock faired well in the squared-circle, winning the Intercontinental Championship once. However, Severn was more synonymous with his MMA career as he racked up 101 wins.

The likes of Batista and Shinsuke Nakamura have also had brief brushes with the world of MMA.

Valerie Loureda is the latest addition to this list. While she is still very young, she is being touted as a future superstar for the company.