An Olympic medal of any sort is usually a ticket to professional gold. Unfortunately, 2020 U.S. Olympic bronze medalist Oshae Jones is still waiting for that check to come in.

"I really didn't know what to expect," Jones said when asked if her pro career has gone as expected.

"I just thought the pay for women would be better. That's the most shocking thing for me since we do the same thing as the men. The majority of women are making more money being on the USA team than being professional. But it's getting better over time."

Maybe that has something to do with the Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano trilogy and its elevation of women's boxing, but there's also the reality that Jones (8-0, 3 KOs) has the IBF and IBO junior middleweight world titles in her possession heading into Friday night's championship defense against Elia Carranza (11-1, 3 KOs) of Miami, Florida.

Belts and perfect records do numbers for one's paycheck, and given she's a steady attraction in Atlanta, Georgia, where she will fight for the fourth consecutive time, things are looking up for the 27-year-old. But she’s not even close to being content yet. As much as she appreciates the Georgia's familiarity, the three-year pro wants to take her show on the road.

"It's familiar, but I would like to get more fans all over the world like New York or Philadelphia, and New Jersey, which is normally where I train."

With a pleasing style and personality, Jones has good reason to want to break into different markets, and watching the Taylor-Serrano card at Madison Square Garden only strengthened that desire. But while most would watch a card featuring an array of the best fighters in the game and say, "That will be me one day," Jones feels the future is now.

"I feel like that should be me right now, but once everything gets under control and I have the right people moving me and everything, I feel like that'll definitely be me," she insisted. "Maybe in the next fight."

Carranza awaits first at The Tabernacle. After that, there are potential unification fights with WBA titleholder Mary Spencer and WBC, WBO champion Ema Kozin as well as even bigger fights should she want to move to middleweight or drop to 147 pounds.

"My first professional fight was at 147, but I just got a belt at '54 and stayed there," she said.

"Yes, I want to be undisputed at 154. Once I get the WBA and the WBO, then I want to go back down to '47, that was my original way. I don't know about '60, feel it's kind of big for me, considering I walk around about 165."

Even if they throw a big bag of money at her for a fight with Claressa Shields?

"We've got to see," Jones laughs, probably knowing she will take any big fight offered to her. She's not here for a long time, but a good time, and there's no better time for the Toledo, Ohio, native than securing fights she's been training for since she was a child.

"Everybody wants the belts, but of course, I've got to take it one step and belt at a time, unless a couple are vacant and I can fight a good challenger for both at the same time," she said.

"But definitely, I want the belts, bigger fights, it just hasn't been happening. But everything happens at the right time for everybody and just don't think it's my time right now as far as getting all the belts. I'm ready, the universe just has to put everything in place for me. I've been fighting since I was almost nine years old, I'm 27 now, it is time. It's been time."

Jones isn't taking her foot off the gas — she's just getting started.

"Boxing is just a hungry sport," she said. "You've got to stay hungry with the achievements and making weight, got to stay hungry all the time."

Importantly, she won't let the sport break her.

"Once, I looked up and really questioned myself; 'do I want to do this?' I was already 10 years in so, after a decade of doing what I've been doing, I've been looking at it as if it's bigger than me. So many people — and many younger women — look up to me and I want them to keep pushing. So I really do this for the people that ever questioned or doubted themselves, to show them that if a small-town girl like me can do it, you definitely can, too."