Two-time UFC champion Julianna Pena says title rivals will have to take her belt 'out of my cold, dead fingers'

Julianna Pena recaptured the undisputed UFC women's bantamweight title at UFC 307, then warned that she won't be shifted from the top of the division easily.

Pena edged a razor-close split-decision verdict in Salt Lake City to defeat defending champ Raquel Pennington and in the process become a two-time UFC champion.

And, speaking backstage after her victory, "The Venezuelan Vixen" admitted that she was a tad nervous when Bruce Buffer read out the scorecards at the end of the five-round title fight.

"My old good friend, Burt Watson, he used to say, 'Don't leave it in the hands of the judges. They're only going to make you cry,'" she said.

"So that was definitely playing in my head rent-free, especially because in the locker room, I kept hearing that they were giving these decisions away, and that the judges were a little crazy tonight. So I was definitely concerned about that.

"And then, when I heard split, I was like, 'Oh golly. I didn't know, but I thought in my head I had done enough."

MORE: Results, highlights from UFC 307: Pereira retains, Pena regains gold

Pena warns rivals she's going nowhere

Now re-established as champion at 135 pounds, Pena allowed herself a moment to take stock of her accomplishment, before issuing a warning to the rest of the division that she has no intention of relinquishing her spot at the top of the 135-pound class any time soon.

"It's a great life achievement," she said.

"I am the first person to give birth and win a world title, and then I was able to do that a second time. And so, not taking away from anybody else, but just to say that that's never been done.

"Also, I won The Ultimate Fighter, and she felt that she was supposed to win The Ultimate Fighter. So again, to go full circle and say, I am the true Ultimate Fighter. I am the last woman standing. I am the one that you know is to be beaten, and you have to come and take it away from me, and you're going to have to come pry it out of my cold, dead fingers, because I am not giving up on it."

Pena wants her success to inspire her daughter

Pena also said that she wants her achievements to serve as an example to her daughter, and said that if her grit and determination to never give up on her goals also inspired other young fighters on the way up, that's just fine with her, too.

"To climb the mountain again, to show little girls all over the world, to put more eyes, more focus on the women's bantamweight division, or just women in general – my job is to usher in the new, up-and-coming talent and to make sure that the sport of women's mixed martial arts grows.

"And, as I have a six-and-a-half-year-old daughter sitting at home watching me, I just want to inspire her, show her what perseverance, grit, determination, willpower, hard work and discipline will get you.

"So you know, if I inspire my daughter, that's the only one that I truly care about. But if there's another little boy out there or a little girl out there that says, 'I want to do that, I can achieve my dreams,' then that's the end goal."