Chris Brown: Manager Sues ... Chris Beat Me to a Pulp

Chris Brown has more legal woes ... the guy he hired to rehabilitate his image after the Rihanna beating is now suing Chris for allegedly doing the same to him.

Mike G claims he was hired in 2012 not only to change Brown's image but to get him out of debt and off drugs. Mike G says he did well by Chris, who had a resurgence in popularity.

Things allegedly turned bad last month, but Mike G claims without provocation, Brown took him in a room, brutally attacked him with repeated punches to the face and neck, which landed him in the ER.

The lawsuit claims Brown, rather than being remorseful, began mocking Mike G on social media and bragging to friends about the beating. Mike G says Brown had the audacity to tell people working on his tour, if they got out of line he'd beat them just like he beat Mike G.

Mike G says Brown's rage was drug-fueled and the suit mention concern for retaliation from Brown's "gang member friends."

Mike G's attorney, Patty Glaser, tells TMZ, "We did everything we could to resolve this in a non-public way to avoid damage to Chris Brown. Regrettably, as outlined in our complaint, Chris Brown has proven to be his own worst enemy."

11:00 AM PT: Chris just responded to the lawsuit in an Instagram video, claiming he fired Mike G for stealing money from him. Mike G's lawyer says that's not true and they will be adding a defamation claim to the lawsuit.