Rather than it being filtration or bypass related, is it possible that the mounting flange and/or threads have a different depth, preventing full engagement of the o-ring, or maybe not long enough leaving the threaded part too short to fully engage the threads?
Without any information from Mazda, this entire thread is pure speculation, since it doesn’t appear that any of the aftermarket filter manufacturers have removed the appropriate cross-references to avoid lawsuits? Seems like if there were engine failures caused by aftermarket filters, Mazda would kick this into their laps, and there would be class-actions all over the place?