Yes, really. So, someone tries to punch you and you should do what - exactly? Just stand there like Ghandi? I'd say pushing someone away and smacking his ear was reasonable way to defend oneself. The article claims it was not as severe as they first thought anyway. Who knows what really went down there but it just to me sounded like a scuffle.
The rest of the events revolving around his time at Kansas seem to me to be he-said she-said verbal slap-fighting. I didn't get any real concrete explanations for the release other than new coaching staff and not wanting to deal with the fight court issues, etc. Reading his explanations to me sounded sincere enough and definitely sounded like he's ready to move on from it.