"I don't think Nick should be judged as a quitter" - Daniel Cormier believes Nick Diaz made a good decision by refusing to continue fight against Robbie Lawler at UFC 266

Daniel Cormier bestowed his take on Nick Diaz's latest performance at UFC 266 against Robbie Lawler. Cormier commended Diaz for stepping into the cage. He also denounced opinions that suggested the Stockton native was a "quitter."

"I kind of take a different view of it. Remember, this is Nick Diaz, who threw in the towel when his brother was getting beat by Josh Thomson. This is Nick Diaz as a veteran of the game who understood, 'this is not going my way,' so he pulled the plug. I don't think Nick should be judged as a quitter, I think Nick should be judged as a person that just knew, 'hey, this is not for me right now.'"

Nick Diaz returned to the octagon after six years away from the sport. He last fought Anderson Silva at UFC 183 in 2015.

Diaz's five-round, non-title fight against Lawler was contested at middleweight. After two exciting rounds of exchanging combinations with Lawler, Diaz seemed overwhelmed by his opponent's relentless pressure.

The Stockton native crumbled onto the canvas in the third round and refused to get back up. The referee determined Diaz was unwilling to continue and called a stop to the contest.

Cormier then explained that Nick Diaz made a conscious decision to stop the fight:

"This to me was the first time that all those questions that are in his head, showed itself on fight night. And it showed itself in the way that he fought... he was nervous. I believe that's why he threw so [many punches]. I can almost feel his energy, when I was in the octagon with him afterwards, I can feel that energy of almost relief that it was over when I was talking to Nick Diaz. But Nick Diaz is going to be judged very harshly for doing what he did on Saturday..."

Here's Daniel Cormier's take on Nick Diaz:

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Nick Diaz was praised by UFC president Dana White after his return to the octagon

Dana White commended Nick Diaz and stated that the former UFC welterweight title challenger looked "incredible."

Taking into consideration that Diaz hasn't fought in over five years, White said the bout exceeded his expectations while it lasted.

Watch Dana White talk about Nick Diaz below: