The guy who attacked Pacman Jones -- and then got his ASS KICKED by the NFL star -- has just been sentenced to 1 year behind bars ... court officials tell TMZ Sports.
We broke the story ... Jones was walking through the Atlanta International Airport on July 10 when Frank Ragin -- a man who worked at the terminal -- started talking trash to the NFL star.
Ragin shoved Jones into a wall and then the two began to fight -- with Jones knocking the guy out with a wild overhand right. Ragin also suffered a busted leg in the altercation.
Cops investigated and determined Ragin was the aggressor -- and they arrested him on the spot. He was later charged with 2 counts of battery, 1 count of disorderly conduct and 1 count of terroristic threats.
Ragin ultimately struck a deal with prosecutors where he agreed to plead no contest to 1 count of battery and the other 3 charges were dropped.
The sentence was harsh -- 1 year in jail and roughly 1 year of probation. He also has to complete 70 hours of community service and must stay away from Pacman.
As for Pacman, officials determined he was simply defending himself and well within his rights to strike back. He was not charged with a crime.
Pacman has talked about possibly filing a lawsuit -- but so far, he has not pulled the trigger.