Danny Garcia scores second-round KO of Rod Salka at Barclays Center

In the second round of Saturday night's main event at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Danny Garcia got tired of watching. He had begun the night watching his sister, Angelise, sing the national anthem and began his welterweight bout watching Rod Salka jitter and dance around the ring.

When the punching started, it ended quickly. Garcia knocked out Salka 2 minutes and 31 seconds into the second round, nailing him with a left hook.

It was the 17th knockout of Garcia's career and first since October 2012, when he ended Erik Morales' night early.

"It felt good," Garcia said of the knockout. "I was in a little bit of a drought, but I don't look for knockouts. I just go in there and if it comes, it comes. If it don't, it don't."

Garcia attributed the stoppage to the variety of punches he was able to throw.

"I was throwing decoy shots," Garcia said. "I was throwing right hands to the body and left hooks to the head or a jab to the body and an overhead right. He didn't know how to block the punches. I mixed my shots up a little bit."

Garcia (29-0, 17 KOs) was the more aggressive fighter throughout. As Salka danced around in the first round, Garcia tracked him, waiting for opportunities.

"I knew he was going to try and come out, box, and make it an ugly fight," Garcia said. "But I just kept my composure until I closed the distance, I wanted to feel his power a little bit. I came in here and did what I was supposed to do."

Garcia threw 117 punches to Salka's 69. Salka (19-4, 3 KOs) connected on only 10 of his, and Garcia landed 50. Garcia threw 79 power punches, connecting on 41. Salka threw 27 power punches, connecting on eight. Salka also only connected two of his 42 jabs. Garcia landed nine of his 38 jabs.

Earlier in the evening, Brooklyn's Daniel Jacobs took the vacant WBA middleweight world title, knocking Australia's Jarrod Fletcher (18-2, 10 KOs) to the canvas, 2:58 into the fifth round, earning a technical knockout.

The win made Jacobs the first cancer survivor to win a world title, fight representatives said.

"That means everything to me," Jacobs (28-1, 25 KOs) said of the distinction. "This is a rough sport, where you could die inside the ring.

"I feel like I've inspired so many people that no matter what you go through, whether it's cancer, being paralyzed, no matter what it is, you are in control of your destiny."

Lamont Peterson (33-2-1, 17 KOs) defended his IBF junior welterweight title, beating Edgar Santana (29-5, 20 KOs) by technical knockout. The fight was stopped by referee Pete Santiago at 2:48 of the 10th round.

Brooklyn's Sadam Ali (20-0, 12 KOs) took the vacant WBO intercontinental welterweight title, winning a split decision with Jeremy Bryan (17-4, 7 KOs).

Super middleweight D'metrius Ballard (6-0, 5 KOs) won by technical knockout over Barry Trotter (2-2, 1 KO) to lead off the card.

Junior middleweight Prichard Colon (11-0, 10 KOs) beat Lenwood Dozier (9-7-1, 4 KOs) by unanimous decision.