Valerie Loureda says people shouldn’t get fixated on her opponent’s day job ahead of their Bellator 222 matchup in New York.

Former U.S. taekwondo ace Loureda (1-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) is set to return to action at the iconic Madison Square Garden against Larkyn Dasch (0-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), a Hooters waitress who shared a photo of her signing her bout agreement while wearing her famous work gear.

But Loureda warned fans not to fall into the trap of thinking this was a gimmicky “fighter vs. waitress” matchup because, as she points out, she was in exactly the same situation herself just a few months ago.

“Honestly, I don’t understand the big deal,” Loureda told MMA Junkie. “I admire her for being a waitress, because I was one, too! Until two months ago I was waitressing in a Mexican restaurant kinda like a Hooters to pay my rent in Coconut Creek. So I admire her for doing that, because I put myself in those situations and those jobs to be able to pursue my dream.

“Thankfully with my Bellator debut, I was able to stop that job. But honestly, I don’t see the big deal with it, and I admire her for grinding like that, doing what she needs to do make her dreams come true.”

On the topic of dreams, the matchup offers the chance for Loureda to live out a dream of her own as she gets set to compete under the bright lights in the Mecca of combat sports, Madison Square Garden.

Loureda admitted she was acutely aware of the venue’s storied past and the who’s who of legends who have graced the arena as she prepares to follow in their footsteps. And she admits she might even have the likes of Muhammad Ali in the back of her mind when she enters the Bellator cage on fight night.

“You know, it’s a dream come true for me,” said the 20-year-old. “It’s an honor, and really I couldn’t have wished for anything better than this. It also motivates me, because I know that I’m meant to be fighting at a venue that these legends have fought in. And I’ll remind myself during the fight of all the legends that have been standing where I’m standing.

“I’ll just perform to my best and hopefully, for one day, be at their level.”

Her matchup against Dasch is a contest between two athletes early in their professional careers. But while Loureda has a higher-profile athletic past, thanks to her taekwondo exploits, she was quick to point out that – in pure MMA terms – her opponent is the one with the experience advantage, with seven amateur bouts compared to her four.

“If you look at it, she has a lot more amateur experience than I do,” Loureda said. “I might be 1-0, but she’s 0-1 – she’s had a fight as well. Sure, I have more experience in taekwondo, but she has a little more experience than I do in MMA.

“We’re both trying to build ourselves and our careers, and I think it’s a good fight. I don’t think there’s a large contrast there. I know I’m going to go in there and do my job, and she’s going to go in there and do hers, too.”

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And, just a couple of months removed from her own high-profile MMA debut – a first-round TKO stoppage of Colby Fletcher at Bellator 216 – Loureda even had some kind words of advice for her opponent ahead of their New York matchup.

“I would tell her not to get too distracted by all the attention and the social media and just focus on her training and her gameplan,” Loureda offered.

“Just go out there and be yourself. … Just go out there and treat it as any other cage – not a Bellator cage in Madison Square Garden. Just treat it the same as when you’re sparring in the gym.

“She’s going to fight for her life and for this opportunity, as I am, to be there at Madison Square Garden. So I’m just looking forward to this fight, and I know it’s going to be a good one.”

For more on Bellator 222, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.