Unbeaten heavyweight prospect Matt Mitrone will face his toughest test to date when he battles fellow striker Cheick Kongo at UFC 137 on October 29th. The targeted matchup was first reported by ESPN.com today. Both fighters are coming off of knockout victories at UFC Live 4 in June.

Mitrione stopped Christian Morecraft in the second round of their June bout and has won five times inside the Octagon. Kongo, meanwhile, rallied back from the brink of defeat to knock out Pat “HD” Barry in the main event of the UFC Live 4 card and is unbeaten in his last three UFC appearances.

Mitrione (5-0-0), a former football player, has taken gradual steps up in competition during his tenure in the UFC and has thus far passed each test in impressive fashion. His heavy hands have led to four knockout wins, including two this year. Mitrione’s style has left him open to strikes from opponents in the past, however, and Kongo showed in his most recent fight that he is dangerous even when badly hurt.

Kongo (16-6-2) twice looked to be bordering on unconsciousness after a barrage of punches from Barry in the first round of their featured fight, but scored an incredible comeback victory with a single right uppercut that put Barry down for good just past the midway point of round one. The win got Kongo back on track after a controversial Draw with Travis Browne in October. He has bounced back well since earning just one victory in three bouts in 2009.

With the heavyweight division in need of more top contenders, the victor of the planned Mitrione-Kongo fight will move one step closer to title contention. Mitrione, in particular, may move on to challenge the division’s elite if he is able to get past Kongo.

UFC 137 takes place on October 29th at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event will be headlined by a UFC Welterweight Championship bout between Georges “Rush” St. Pierre and Nick Diaz.

(Photo Credit: Sherdog.com)