A Darwin man has died after a fight in San Francisco, with United States police arresting two people over his death.

San Francisco police said Matthew Bate died after a verbal argument with two men outside the Da Vinci Villa hotel in Russian Hill turned physical about 2am on Friday local time.

The San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner released the 33-year-old’s identity and said he lived in Woolner.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing Bate’s family with consular assistance.

“The department requests the media to respect the privacy of the family at this most difficult time,” Dfat said in a statement on Saturday.

Police have detained two suspects and the death is being investigated by the homicide unit.