Courtesy: Hanford SentinelHANFORD, Calif. (KMPH) -
The battery charges against a mixed martial arts fighter arrested after a fight in a Hanford bar have been dropped.
As part of a plea deal, prosecutors say Chad Mendes pleaded no contest Monday in Kings County Superior Court to fighting in a public place after authorities say he sucker punched another man in a bar fight.
Mendes will pay a $560 fine and will be placed on probation.
The 27-year-old Mendes agreed to accept the misdemeanor charge in exchange for prosecutors dropping the more serious count of battery against him.
The Kings County Sheriff's Office says the UFC featherweight punched a patron in the face at the Lacy Inn Bar in July, following a brawl outside the bar.
Mendes has released a statement saying the allegations reported in the media were "either false or incredibly sensationalized."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
