This is why I laugh at people who think that some of us logical and evidence based couch potato admirers of a sport "don't know anything about MMA" because we don't train and compete.
There is a difference between Fans versus Admirers of the Sport. An admirer of the sport is more logical and evidence-based in his assessment of the sport. Yes, there is always bias, but, bias can be limited when you have an objective paradigm and you stick to it no matter how you feel about a team or athlete.
Therefore, an Admirer of The Sport can watch the sport, pay attention and develop an understanding of the sport without ever participating in it. That is why a guy like Steven Seagal can be a good MMA teacher, regardless of how one feels about Steven Seagal's MMA credentials.
Science and technology are not the same thing. It is possible to know a technology and understand how to use it to your advantage, without having any extensive knowledge of the science behind it.
For example, humans learned how to use electricity and light up the world, before we discovered the science behind electricity.
Most of fighting is "technology," even the coaches and fighters themselves don't really know the "science" behind fighting. It is all technology passed on from one experienced technician to the next. So, it is not that difficult to understand and teach, if you pay attention to it.