This rematch looks very different from their first meeting. Merab has already fought three times this year and this is his fourth defense of 2025. Showing up for a fourth high pace fight with hard camps and weight cuts in one year is a real factor. Merabs face also looked more sucked-in than normal at the press-conference, indicating an especially hard weight cut. Yan comes in healthier than he did last time and far more prepared. The broken right hand he had in the first fight limited his power and kept him from punishing Merab on the entries. Now he can actually throw with both sides which changes what Merab can get away with. Technically, Yan is the better striker by a wide margin. Cleaner shots, tighter combinations, sharper counters, and more damaging work overall. Merab wins through volume, pace and positional control, not damage. If judges lean more toward impact the way they have been lately, that favors Yan. The danger for Yan is getting stuck on the fence. If Merab breaks him down and chains takedowns against the cage, he can take rounds even without big moments.