In what other sport does gambling dictate when athletes should be either pushing themselves or coasting during their performance?
There's more to this than the judging, as is clearly stated by the TS when they ask about techniques.
The fact is the rest of the world largely disregards the importance of technical know-how, body control, and discipline. Turning your back, flailing around, struggling to to get out of bad positions, poor reactions to attacks etc... are not frowned upon and factored into the result like in Thailand. Elsewhere, a fighter can be pushed back with five straight push kicks, get turned, take three knees in a double collar but return with a few sporadic and ineffectual punches, and the latter will be viewed as the superior attack. That's an example of going in the other direction.
Losing a decision that wasn't controversial, but getting it reversed by a kickboxing federation. That's an example of going in the other direction.
Also, MMA now has different rules. The Unified Rules of MMA are different to what the Pride rules were for instance.
+ the recent change of rules and scoring criteria by the ABC is only in place in certain US states, and only in place in certain countries of the world:
https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2017/1/...g-criteria-explained-hinds-bell-mma-interview
What does MMA have to do with any of my post?
Does one country contain almost the entirety of the talent? Was MMA cultivated over centuries and made a sport because of one group of people? I don't see a countries name in "mixed martial arts," "no holds barred," "cage fighting," or whatever the hell you want to call it. Maybe I missed the meeting where they decided to call MMA, "Japanese Fighting," "Brazilian Fighting," or "American Fighting," you know, because everything contained within the sport was developed from the people of one country.