Former UFC star Ben Askren catches flak after wife appreciation post comes off as insulting

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Former UFC fighter Ben Askren posted a family photo of himself, his wife, Amy, and their children to social media on Tuesday for a wife appreciation post. 

However, fans didn’t take it that way after reading what he captioned. 

"I’ve seen some guys posting on social media lately about how they are winning [because] their wife is attractive, while I don’t disagree I think find a wife who is a great mother is 500% more important!!! Thanks @Abamaby for being such a great mom to our kids," Askren wrote. 

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Ben Askren speaks during a news conference for Triller Fight Club's inaugural 2021 boxing event at The Venetian Las Vegas on March 26, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Askren will face Jake Paul in the main event that will take place on April 17, 2021, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Askren’s comments weren’t flooded with positive messages as many fans decided to call him out.

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"This is what’s known as a backhanded compliment and I’m sure your wife and no other woman would appreciate it," one user wrote. "You might have meant well, but I promise you she won’t see it that way."

Another wrote, "Dude delete this before your wife consults an attorney."

"Why did you diss your wife for no reason?" said another. 

Ben Askren stands in his corner prior to his welterweight bout against Demian Maia of Brazil during the UFC Fight Night event at Singapore Indoor Stadium on October 26, 2019 in Singapore. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

After seeing the mixed messages in his comments, Askren decided to get his wife on video and respond to it all to get her side of the story. He asked how offended she was about it.

"So offended," she said sarcastically. "I can’t show my face anywhere again."

"I mean, I can see how it could be misconstrued," Amy Askren said as her husband admitted the implication from fans was that he was calling her not too good-looking. 

Amy Askren also jokingly said she’s going to beat her husband away "with a stick."

Ben Askren reacts to his submission loss to Demian Maia of Brazil in their welterweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at Singapore Indoor Stadium on October 26, 2019, in Singapore. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

In the end, Amy Askren understood her husband’s good intentions behind the post.

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Ben and Amy Askren have been married since 2010.