Affliction grim reaper and former PRIDE star Josh Barnett said a previous report about not yet being licensed to fight for Strikeforce this Saturday night in Dallas was a "non-story."

Turns out he was right.

Barnett today was officially licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation for his upcoming bout against Brett Rogers in the continuation of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament.

MMA Fighting brought word of the confirmation earlier today.

"The Babyface Assassin" recently abandoned his quest to regain a license to fight in the state of California after multiple delays of his appeal with the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) stemming from his failed drug test back in 2009 that sank the S.S. Affliction and canceled a late summer superfight against Fedor Emelianenko.

Barnett shrugged off any concerns about not holding a license with the CSAC, claiming he had "49 other states to fight in." Unless of course one of those "other states" considers his past exploits in its determination of whether or not he's worthy of a license to compete.

Turns out "The Lone Star State" isn't one of them.

Now the attention turns to his fight against "The Grim," where the grappling wizard is a sizable favorite against his heavy-handed foe. To see the current odds and betting lines for their titanic tilt click here.

The Showtime televised event will feature the second leg of the promotion's heavyweight tournament, including match-ups that pit Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem against the jiu-jitsu stylings of Fabricio Werdum.

For the current Strikeforce: "Overeem vs. Werdum" fight card and line-up click here.