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Getting choked by current teammate Phil Davis at UFC 112 in 2010 triggered a transformation in light heavyweight contender Alexander Gustafsson.

Since tasting his only defeat, Gustafsson has amped up his his training and linked up with Davis and his team at Alliance MMA to improve his overall game and shore up some of his grappling deficiencies.

The move paid major dividends for Gustafsson, who followed up his loss with Davis with six straight victories, including convincing decision wins over Thiago Silva and Mauricio Rua.

But the surging Gustafsson can't punch his ticket for a title shot until he locks horns with arguably his most dangerous opponent since Davis—former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi.

Making his much-anticipated debut against "The Mauler" in his home of Stockholm, Sweden, at UFC on Fuel TV 9, Mousasi will enter the tilt having lost just one fight in his last 22 outings.

With top-flight striking chops and a submission game to match, the grizzled Mousasi could derail the meteoric rise of Gustafsson.

Here's a glimpse at three reasons "The Dreamcatcher" is being overlooked against Gustafsson.