White: Nick Diaz looked 'incredible' in return fight

UFC president Dana White was impressed by what he saw from Nick Diaz last weekend at UFC 266.

Diaz stepped into the Octagon for the first time since January 2015, losing to Robbie Lawler via third-round TKO in a highly anticipated middleweight rematch.

The former title challenger was competitive in the first round before Lawler took over midway through the fight, putting Diaz down with a punch to score the victory.

"I thought Nick Diaz looked incredible considering he hasn't fought in (six) years," White said Tuesday, according to MMA Fighting's Shaun Al-Shatti. "I don't know what I was expecting. You never know what to get with the (Diaz) brothers, but let me tell you what - with a (six)-year layoff, I thought he looked unbelievable.

"I don't know if you guys saw Robbie after the fight, but Robbie had freaking knots and lumps all over him. Those two went to war. ... I thought Robbie was just going to go out there and buzz-saw through him - and that was not the case."

Diaz, one of the most popular fighters in MMA history, remains winless since 2011. White said he isn't sure what's next for the 38-year-old after dropping to 1-1 in his series with Lawler. Diaz knocked out Lawler in a 2004 bout at UFC 47.