Category: Hablemos MMA

Marlon Vera on Sean O’Malley dying hair with Ecuador colors: ‘Fans have always supported me’

Marlon Vera is unfazed by Sean O’Malley’s antics ahead of their UFC 252 fight.

[autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] is glad his next opponent is repping his country’s colors.

The 27-year-old bantamweight fights in the co-main event of UFC 252 this Saturday against Sean O’Malley – one of the UFC’s most popular names in the bantamweight division. O’Malley (12-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) recently made headlines after dying his hair with the colors of Vera’s home country of Ecuador. Vera (15-6-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC) is unfazed by O’Malley’s antics and supports the change in look.

“The truth is that the fans have always supported me, and it’s something very gratifying to my country that he dyed his hair those colors,” Vera said in Spanish on Monday’s episode of “Hablemos MMA.” “He already knows who’s going to dictate the fight.”

As far as the actual fight, Vera recognizes O’Malley is a game fighter but said he wasn’t taken away by his last performance. O’Malley knocked out former WEC champion Eddie Wineland in June.

“He’s a guy that has talent,” Vera said. “He knows how to fight well. He has power in his hands. He has his style, but let’s be honest, people want to make that fight was his breakout moment, a fight that put him the highest. But the casual fans forget that Eddie Wineland was knocked out the same way by Johnny Eduardo. It was a very similar knockout.

“The people who don’t study the UFC that much that are only fans at night; obviously they’re going to think he’s the best, and good for him because that gets him more money, gets him to the title quicker. But at the end of the day, Eddie Wineland was knocked out like that a few years ago, so Eddie Wineland bout in my opinion doesn’t count.”

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Despite the co-main event billing on a UFC pay-per-view card, and facing someone with the popularity of O’Malley, Vera is not buying into the hype of the moment and sees the contest as another day in the office.

“I always think that the next fight is the biggest of my career no matter who it is,” Vera explained. “In its time, it was (John) Lineker. In its time, it was (Brad) Pickett. In its time, it was (Brian) Kelleher, who was coming off a win against someone in the rankings.

“If the fighter has fame or not, that doesn’t make the fight for me. Every fight is the most important. It’s big, but just like any other fight. There’s nothing special about it. What’s special is that I’m ready, and I know I have the weapons to put this guy away.”

UFC 252 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.

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Marlon Vera confident win over ‘brat’ Sean O’Malley puts him close to top five at bantamweight

Marlon Vera feels a big win over O’Malley could catapult him to the top of the rankings.

[autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag]’s next performance will have the MMA world looking closely.

The Ecuadorian fighter will be competing in the co-main event of UFC 252 on Saturday night in Las Vegas, which is being headline by a heavyweight trilogy bout between champion Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier. And of top of getting co-main event billing on a pay-per-view card, Vera (15-6-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC) takes on [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (12-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) – one of the most popular fighters today in the sport.

Vera is eager to get in the cage and fight O’Malley and sees it as a great opportunity to boost himself up in the rankings.

“This is a fight that puts me close to the top five,” Vera said in Spanish on Monday’s episode of “Hablemos MMA.” “We’ve seen fighters like Cody Garbrandt, who are coming off three defeats, beat someone who’s basically outside of the rankings like (Raphael) Assuncao, knocks him out, and gets in the top three above Pedro Munhoz, who knocked him out.

“So the rankings make no sense. But since this is a popularity contest, I beat the brat, and they have to put me in the top, so good for me.”

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Vera is in one of his best career moments, standing at 5-1 in his past six outings, with the lone loss being a controversial decision defeat to Song Yadong in May.

“Chito” is glad to be getting a big fight despite having come up short in his previous bout.

“They’re treating me like if I were coming off a win,” Vera said. “I’m fighting co-main event with someone who’s in the rankings, so obviously it was a robbery of a defeat. It still sets you a few steps down, but what the UFC is giving me is if I were coming off a victory. So I’m happy, and I’m going to recover what was taken from me last time.”

O’Malley has been beefing online with other fighter in the buildup to UFC 252. Vera said he doesn’t care if “Sugar” is underestimating him and finds it silly that top-ranked fighters are engaging with responding to O’Malley comments.

“I couldn’t give a sh-t if he’s underestimating me or not,” Vera said. “I don’t care what he thinks or does. What does matter is that Saturday, he’s going to have me in front of him and not those idiots that are replying to him, giving him fame and credibility.

“If I’m on top, why am I going to be trash-talking someone below me? It doesn’t have logic. The champion, himself, is replying to him. People need to use their brain a little more, but it seems they’re stupid because if I’m the champion and someone if the top-15 is talking sh-t, I’m obviously going to keep an eye on him and be ready for him, but I’m not going to be replying to someone who’s far from fighting for the title. But to each to their own. Thanks to them for making this fight bigger for me.”

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Hablemos MMA #3: Entrevista con Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera, resumen de UFC on ESPN+ 32 y Bellator 243, mas

Escucha el tercer episodio de Hablemos MMA con Danny Segura.

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(Editor’s note: Hablemos MMA is MMA Junkie’s weekly Spanish-language podcast hosted by reporter Danny Segura. New episodes are released every Monday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more of your favorite podcasting platforms. You can also stream or download the latest episode above.)

En el tercer episodio de Hablemos MMA, Danny Segura entrevista a [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] acerca de su pelea coestelar contra [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] en UFC 252, su posición en la división, y mucho mas.

También analizamos los resultados de UFC en ESPN+ 32: [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag], Bellator 243: [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag], y repasamos las ultimas noticias de las artes marciales mixtas incluyendo el futuro de [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag], lesiones de [autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag] y [autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag], fichajes de [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag], [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jennifer Maia[/autotag], y mucho mas.

 

 

Valerie Loureda wants to break Instagram stereotype of female fighters: You can be feminine and still fight

Valerie Loureda opens up about Instagram and the criticism behind her posts.

[autotag]Valerie Loureda[/autotag] hopes to help change the way some people expect female athletes to look in MMA.

Although MMA has been around for many years now and it is broadcast on mainstream cable networks like Paramount (Bellator) and ESPN (UFC), some still see the sport as exclusive to men and only being associated with blood, sweat, rage and bad tattoos.

Loureda (2-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA), who fights Friday at Bellator 243, has gained a fair amount of popularity through her wins, as well as her life outside the cage.

Through the use of Instagram and other social media platforms, the flyweight prospect hopes to help break the stereotype many have set on female fighters.

“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 Monday’s episode of Hablemos MMA. “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.”

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Loureda has plenty of fans, as seen with her strong social media following. The 22-year-old has more than 250,000 followers on Instagram. And like many in the spotlight, the attention has also brought on critics.

Recently, the UFC’s Macy Chiasson criticized how Loureda carries herself online, claiming she’s “selling sex” and not MMA.

Loureda, born in Miami and with Cuban heritage, is also a model and a dancer apart from being a professional fighter. The 22-year-old doesn’t think people should judge others based on what they do outside of the cage.

“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.”

As far as her public back-and-forth on Instagram with Chiasson, Loureda doesn’t want to be in any more disputes. However, she did feel the need to reply to Chiasson and explain where she was coming from.

“She’s a woman that has her problems because she’s out judging other women in this sport,” Loureda said. “The only reason why I replied to her, it’s because I was truly passionate that she was feeling bad. She likes her tattoos and all that, and I like to dance. So there’s no problem with that. Everyone outside of the cage has their own personalities and she shouldn’t be judging anyone for that or anyone in the world. But it’s OK. I silence her when I fight. I won’t change who I am because of what someone thinks or says.”

Loureda is still young in the sport. It can be a heavy burden for a young athlete to carry that much attention at an early stage of her career. However, Loureda is making a conscious effort to focus on what matters to her.

“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.”

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Inspired by Jorge Masvidal’s success, Valerie Loureda hopes to represent Miami and Cuban community

Flyweight prospect Valerie Loureda takes inspiration from Jorge Masvidal, hopes to represent Miami and Cuban community at Bellator 243.

[autotag]Valerie Loureda[/autotag] wants to make her people proud.

The 22-year-old flyweight prospect hopes to represent her hometown of Miami and its Cuban community in her new career as a professional mixed martial artist. Loureda (2-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) began fighting in 2019 and she’s notched two impressive victories for Bellator.

But Loureda is not alone representing the city of Miami. Her friend and teammate, Jorge Masvidal, rose to stardom in the past year while fighting in the UFC’s welterweight division, making him one of the biggest stars in combat sports and now one of the biggest athletes to come out Miami.

Loureda, who like Masvidal has Cuban heritage, takes inspiration from “Gamebred” and hopes to follow his footsteps in Bellator.

“I’m very confident I can be the next face to come out of Miami, the next female fighter,” Loureda said in Spanish on the latest episode of Hablemos MMA. “I don’t know any female fighter that is Cuban, and I’m very confident I could be the next one.

“I know that I can get the same support the community has given Jorge. I have the same coaches as Jorge, the same training, and I’m following his steps in the sport. He’s guiding me a lot. I’m very confident in my camp, in my team, my city behind me, and I’m going to win this fight for the Cubans here in Miami.”

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Loureda takes on Tara Graff in an 125-pound contest Friday on the preliminary card of Bellator 243 in Uncasville, Conn.

Loureda is happy to be returning to the Bellator cage since it’s been a little more than a year since her most recent fight. “Master” Loureda was kept out of action due to injury, an appearance on the Spanish reality TV show “Exatlon,” and then the ongoing global pandemic that forced Bellator to halt operations for a few months.

Loureda acknowledged these aren’t the best conditions for a return, but she plans on relying on her lifelong training ahead of Bellator 243.

“I didn’t know about this fight until three weeks ago and I didn’t have many training partners to do sparring and my jiu-jitsu. But I’m confident because I’ve been doing this since I was a child, so I have that muscle memory,” Loureda sid. “These last few weeks, I’ve been doing the best I can to be ready to win and come out on top.

“I might not be sparring as much, but I’m doing physical training (and) conditioning. I lost a lot of weight after ‘Exatlon,’ and in these times, I’ve used time to concentrate on what I want to do with my life. While many are eating and gaining weight at home, I’ve been working to be on weight and be ready for this fight. So I haven’t had many partners for this training camp, but I’m very confident in my level and the years of training in martial arts.”

Loureda has a strong following online, especially on her Instagram account. She thinks due to her popularity, many opponents underestimate her fighting skills. The unbeaten prospect has no problem with being taken lightly.

“My opponent is very aggressive, and like most of the opponents that I have, she’s going to try to take me down,” Loureda said. “But if they knew that I’m very prepared for that (they might not). I train with the best female fighters on the planet here at American Top Team. I did the camp with Joanna (Jedrzejczyk) in January (and) February. I’m ready.

“She sees me on Instagram and she thinks I only post pictures, but she doesn’t know I train twice, three times a day, and like an animal. That’s my secret weapon. She thinks I’m weak – I’m just an Instagram model. But when I step in the cage, I transform.”

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Hablemos MMA #2: Entrevista con Valerie Loureda, resumen de UFC on ESPN+ 31, noticias, y mas

Escucha el segundo episodio de Hablemos MMA con Danny Segura.

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(Editor’s note: Hablemos MMA is MMA Junkie’s weekly Spanish-language podcast hosted by reporter Danny Segura. New episodes are released every Monday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more of your favorite podcasting platforms. You can also stream or download the latest episode above.)

En el segundo episodio de Hablemos MMA, Danny Segura entrevista a [autotag]Valerie Loureda[/autotag] sobre su pelea contra Tara Graff en Bellator 243, la influencia de Jorge Masvidal en su carrera, y su disputa con Macy Chiasson sobre su imagen publica en Instagram.

También analizamos los resultados de UFC on ESPN+31: [autotag]Derek Brunson[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Edmen Shahbazya[/autotag], y repasamos las ultimas noticias de las artes marciales mixtas incluyendo el anuncio de unificación de titulo entre Khabib Nurmagomedov y Justin Gaethje, la suspensión de Gilbert Melendez de parte de USADA, el regreso de Erik ‘Goyito’ Perez, y mucho mas.

Hablemos MMA #1: Entrevista con Irene Aldana, resumen de UFC on ESPN 14 y Bellator 242, mas

Escucha el primer episodio de Hablemos MMA con Danny Segura.

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En el primer episodio de Hablemos MMA, Danny Segura entrevista a [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag] que tuvo su pelea con Holly Holm pospuesta después de haber dado de positivo con coronavirus. También analiza los resultados de UFC on ESPN 14: [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Darren Till[/autotag] y Bellator 242, y repasa las ultimas noticias de las artes marciales mixtas incluyendo los comentarios mas recientes de Georges St-Pierre, cancelación del regreso Combate Americas, futuros eventos de Bellator, y mucho mas.