The 27-year-old American basketballer had been socialising in Dunedin with team-mates after Saturday night's game with the Nelson Giants before an altercation broke out with a group of youths in George St near the Octagon.
His friends were waiting for a taxi when an argument started after they were racially taunted.
Amaya said he approached the "confrontational" young men to act as peacemaker, but was punched in the face and fell backwards, cutting his head on the footpath.
"I came up in the middle of the argument and said, "Hey, we are just trying to leave. Nobody here wants to fight. We're just going to go our own way,"' Amaya said.
"The next thing I know I'm walking home with a bloody head."
Amaya walked to the Leviathan Hotel and called the police.
After what seemed like 30 to 40 minutes, a hotel employee became concerned Amaya's head was still bleeding and phoned for an ambulance.
Amaya needed "one or two" stitches to close the cut on the back of his head.
He also had bad facial bruising and a swollen eye.
He was not sure how the argument started but said the other group was abusing his friends and "just looking for a fight".
"There was this one guy I was trying to talk to who just had the angriest look on his face."
The incident had left Amaya a little bewildered.
"It is rather strange. I've been met with so much generosity, kindness and friendly people since I've been here and haven't seen anything like that. But you know, there are people like that everywhere.
"I've never been in a fight, or had to throw a punch, in my life. The thing I can't understand is there was just no reason for it to happen. No reason at all."
Despite the incident and his battling homesickness, Amaya is determined to stay with the Nuggets.
"Have I thought about how nice it would be to be home right now - of course. But I'm not going to leave. It has been a tough season but I'm not a quitter. But incidents like this definitely put things in perspective."
Amaya, who comes originally from Mount Vernon in Washington state, made a complaint to police yesterday but said he had not seen who had hit him.
Amaya plans to rest for a few days and hopes to be available for the game against the Southland Sharks at the Edgar Centre on Saturday night.
He rates his chances of getting on the court about 50-50.
Nuggets coach Alf Arlidge was appalled by the incident, which he said reflected poorly on Dunedin.
"I'm absolutely sick of the thuggery that goes on among groups of youths who think they can hunt in packs, just because someone looks different or speaks differently.
"What gives them the right to do what they did?"Sergeant Steve Aitken, of Dunedin, told NZPA police would see if businesses in the area had CCTV footage of the incident.
