Miesha Tate: I think my stock has gone up and I want to get paid more

What's in a name?

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women's bantamweight number one contender, Miesha Tate, finally secured her first win inside the Octagon by way of narrow decision over Liz Carmouche at UFC on FOX 11 last month in Orlando, Florida.

"Cupcake" has just one fight remaining on her current contract.

When it comes time to re-up, the former Strikeforce 135-pound queenpin believes she's due for a salary increase, probably because she helped jumpstart the women's division, thanks to a role opposite Ronda Rousey on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 18, as well as her UFC 168 co-headlining title fight.

From her conversation with MMA Fighting:

"I do want to get paid more, of course. I think my stock's gone up a lot since fighting in the UFC. I think the contract that transpired when I was still in Strikeforce, transitioning to the UFC, doesn't reflect what I feel like I'm worth. So that's a whole process that has to happen."

Tate banked a respectable $56,000 ($28,000 to show, $28,000 to win) for her "Girl-Rilla" win in "The Sunshine State."

There's no question she's a marketable fighter, but unfortunately for her (and a lot of other female combatants), there aren't many options outside of UFC when it comes to women's mixed martial arts (MMA). Invicta FC is now doing business with ZUFFA and free agency ain't what it used to be.

It will be interesting to see how the next few months play out in regards to her fighting future.

Stay tuned.