Former NFL standout defensive end Greg Hardy announced earlier this week that he is transferring his efforts from the gridiron to the octagon. The controversial football star has made it clear that he has been training, and looks to debut as a MMA fighter in the near future.

Hardy, now 28, has had a murky background while in the spotlight. In 2014, Hardy was found guilty of assaulting his 24-year-old ex-girlfriend and was suspended from 10 football games. Then, in 2016, Hardy was arrested for cocaine possession.

The question is now this: Does a guy with the track record of Hardy deserve another chance?

Hardy really hasn’t shown anyone a reason as to why the world should give him another chance to make millions of dollars on a large public platform. He has a very unapologetic, pompous attitude, which could be detrimental for an athlete in a high intensity contact sport.

Hardy has spent the bulk of his last two NFL seasons on the suspended list, so it may not be wise for the MMA to embrace a man with such low character. In a recent report to MMAFighting.com, Hardy stated, “I’m going to do this the right way, I can assure you of that.”

It’s uncertain if Hardy knows the right way yet.

It doesn’t make sense that a man who doesn’t feel sorry for his actions and blows —chance after chance — continues to be kept around, while an NFL player such as Ray Rice is still paying the price.

Let’s all hope this career change for Hardy puts him on a better path or that his first opponent in the octagon knocks some sense into him.

Ty Sugick is a columnist, contact him at [email protected].