30 Games Where Hallowed Sports Records Were Broken

Darren - December 20, 2021

30 Games Where Hallowed Sports Records Were Broken

Darren - December 20, 2021

16. Jon Jones vs. Dominick Reyes (2020)

Jon Jones has had a strange career. The UFC legend has broken countless records but remains a highly controversial character. He became the youngest champion in history when he defeated Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua. Then, he remained undefeated and routed the light-heavyweight division. Remarkably, he is a four-time champion despite never losing a title fight. The UFC stripped him on multiple occasions for various breaches of conduct.

However, Jones is like a cockroach because he is seemingly indestructible. In 2020, he defeated Dominick Reyes for his 14th UFC title win. Jones holds all the records in the 205-pound division (via MMA Fighting). But he also challenges fellow greats like Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre in the all-time lists. If he remained disciplined and fought consistently, he’d be the undisputed greatest ever.

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15. Coca-Cola 600 (2021)

Kyle Larson had a rough end to 2020 after one of the stupidest mistakes ever. He was competing in a televised e-race when he dropped a racial slur. However, he didn’t realize that the microphone was still live. Chip Ganassi Racing fired their driver and NASCAR suspended him. In the end, he returned to the sport with Hendrick Motorsport. From there, Larson went from strength to strength.

It was probably the best thing that ever happened to him. Hendrick was a ruthless, winning machine and Larson won the NASCAR Cup Series Championship. They also broke multiple records along the way. Larson won the Coca-Cola 600 in May and handed Hendrick their 269th team victory. This also propelled them above Richard Petty Motorsports in Cup history (via Reuters).

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14. Serena Williams vs. Venus Williams (2017)

The Williams sisters changed the face of women’s tennis. They genuinely faced multiple challenges in their early days because of the sport’s culture. However, their mutual brilliance ensured their rise to the top. Venus had a magnificent career but Serena was even better. In 2017, she defeated her sister to claim her 23rd Grand Slam title. This also placed her above Steffi Graff on the all-time list.

The sisters faced off in the final of the Australian Open. Venus lost but she also made history as the oldest athlete to play in a Grand Slam final. She deserves immense respect because she continued playing with an autoimmune disease. It was a beautiful moment for both women because they made so many sacrifices to arrive at this point. Furthermore, Serena called her sister her ‘toughest opponent’ (via PBS).

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13. Arsenal vs. West Brom (2017)

Louie Barry wasn’t a spectacular soccer player but he was very consistent. That’s why he achieved the record for the most appearances in Premier League history. First, he played for Aston Villa and made his debut in 1998. He spent 11 seasons at Villa Park before a move to Manchester City. This was his most successful period because Man City was on the rise. Barry won a Premier League title as well as an F.A. Cup.

Next, he moved to Everton where he spent five seasons and made his 600th Premier League appearance. Ryan Giggs held the record for most games in the league (632). But Barry shattered this after his final transfer to West Brom. He finished his career with an incredible 653 Premier League matches on his resume. Barry retired in 2020 after a career that spanned 22 years (via GiveMeSport).

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12. Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texas (2018)

Adam Vinatieri spent a remarkable 24 seasons in the NFL. It’s easier for placekickers to play for longer because they absorb less damage. However, he was old enough to be his teammates’ father when he retired. Vinatieri maintained a remarkable level of consistency throughout his career. Furthermore, he only played for two NFL franchises in the Patriots and the Colts.

In 2018, Vinatieri broke one of the greatest NFL records ever. He overtook Morten Andersen’s all-time mark for field goals when he scored against the Texans. This kick took Vinatieri’s total to a remarkable 566 (via USA Today). Vinatieri, Andersen, and Gary Anderson are the only kickers in history with more than 500 field goals. This takes a remarkable competitive spirit and desire.

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11. Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor (2017)

Mayweather was one of the best defensive boxers ever and maybe the best. He fought some of the world’s top fighters including Manny Pacquaio, Oscar De La Hoya, and Juan Manuel Marquez. ‘Money’ was also a very canny businessman because he handpicked opponents when they were vulnerable. He is the only man with an official win over Canelo Alvarez even though he fought the Mexican before he fully matured.

However, Mayweather was superb at avoiding damage. This increased his longevity. He broke many records throughout his career. This included one that Rocky Marciano held for a long time. Marciano retired in 1950 with a legendary 49-0 record. However, Mayweather went one further when he defeated Conor McGregor (via CBS Sports). His TKO victory took him to 50-0 and sealed a place in history.

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10. PSG vs. Rennes (2019)

Most people think that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the world’s most successful soccer players. It’s true that these men hold many records and also won a lot of trophies. However, the player with the most medals is a defender. Brazil’s Dani Alves won an incredible 43 major honors in his career. This takes him above his former teammate Andres Iniesta in the rankings.

Alves began his career with Bahia in Brazil but soon moved to Sevilla. He won several cups with both teams before he joined Barcelona. The right-back was part of one of Europe’s greatest-ever teams. They won everything in the game. Meanwhile, he had success with his country in Copa America (via AS). He continued winning trophies in France. These include the French League and Coupe de France with Paris Saint-Germain.

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9. Novak Djokovic vs. Danii Medvedev (2021)

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer were the kings of men’s tennis through the 2000s. Then, in 2008, Djokovic came along and brought a new dimension to the game. He soared to the top of the sport and became the World No.1 after a stream of Major wins. In 2021, he had the opportunity to break multiple records. First, he went past Roger Federer’s 310 weeks as World No.1. This was the longest run of the Open Era.

Then, he had the chance to achieve a calendar-year Grand Slam. Rob Slater was the last man to achieve this difficult feat in 1969. After winning Wimbledon, Roland Garros, and the Australian Open, he faced Danii Medvedev in the final. However, Medvedev shocked the world and defeated the Serbian. But it sealed Djokovic’s World No.1 spot for a record seventh time. This took him above Pete Sampras in the all-time rankings (via EuroSport).

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8. Portuguese Grand Prix (2020)

Many Formula 1 supporters witnessed history in Portugal in 2020. Lewis Hamilton won his 92nd race as he overtook Michael Schumacher in the leader books (via ABC News). Schumacher won the last of his races in 2006. However, most experts thought that nobody would win more. Unfortunately for the German, Hamilton makes it his business to break records. It was another notch on his belt on the way to a seventh championship.

Hamilton equaled or broke many of Schumacher’s other records. The pair have the same number of Driver’s Championship titles. But Hamilton has more podium finishes than his older rival. Meanwhile, Schumacher maintains the fastest laps in Formula 1 history with 77. It’s difficult to say one was better than the other because they faced different challenges in their careers.

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7. Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler (2021)

Oliveira’s story is great because it’s so unlikely. The Brazilian MMA fighter joined the UFC as a young man. However, he struggled for consistency. He had a mediocre 10-8 record in his first 18 fights with the promotion. Oliveira showed flashes of brilliance but struggled mentally. In some fights, it appeared as though he gave up. Also, he missed weight on four occasions.

Then out of the blue, something clicked. He went on an incredible nine-fight rampage and won the lightweight championship. The BJJ expert broke many records on the way to the belt. First, he achieved the most submissions in UFC history. Then, against Michael Chandler, he went even further (via Sportskeeda). He knocked out the American and claimed the record for the most finishes in the octagon.

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6. Portugal vs. Ireland (2021)

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most dedicated athletes in the world of sports. He’s a goal-scoring machine and an inspiration to millions of people around the world. Furthermore, he is incredibly focused on his performance. Even as he ages, he continues to focus on maximum recovery. In 2021, he broke the record for the most international goals in history when he scored twice against Ireland (via The Athletic).

This took the 36-year-old’s career total to 115. It was an incredible achievement because only one other player achieved more than 100 goals for their country. Ali Daei scored 109 for Iran but many of his goals came against limited opposition. However, Ronaldo’s Portugal consistently played the best teams in Europe and the world. This made it even more impressive because of the quality he faced.

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5. Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans (2006)

Retirement isn’t easy for former NFL quarterbacks as Tom Brady keeps stealing all of the records. It can’t be easy for the likes of Peyton Manning to watch the former Patriot go down as the greatest in history. However, one record Manning still holds is the most 4000-yard season in NFL history. He went past Dan Marino in 2006 with his seventh successive 4000-yard year (via WTHR).

But Manning didn’t slow down. He continued to be a passing machine as he retired with an outstanding record of 14 4000-yard seasons. That’s one more than Brady, but nobody would bet against the Bucs QB overtaking him. Furthermore, since 2006, 10 quarterbacks matched or overtook Marino’s former record. This shows how the NFL has evolved in recent decades.

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4. 4 x 100m Medley (2008)

The Stars and Stripes played so often around Phelps that it could have been his ringtone. He was unstoppable in the pool as he broke countless Olympic records. Firstly, he became the most successful male Olympian in history. Fellow swimmer Mark Spitz held the record for 36 years with seven golds. But Phelps soared past this as he won his eighth in Beijing (via The Guardian).

Finally, he became the highest-achieving Olympian ever, overtaking Larisa Latynina. The Soviet gymnast won the last of 18 medals in the 1964 Tokyo Games. Phelps competed in London and Rio De Janeiro to put his medal count at 28. Meanwhile, Phelps is a world record-holder in many styles. He also won many awards throughout his career in recognition of his achievements.

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3. Canelo Alvarez vs. Caleb Plant (2021)

In 2020, Alvarez topped the Forbes List of Highest-Earning athletes. The Mexican boxer became a superstar because of his dynamic and aggressive style. He set multiple records on the road to greatness. Several of these occurred in 2021 as he won multiple titles. First, he defeated Billy Joe Saunders in front of the biggest crowd boxing has ever seen (via CNN). He went even further in his next bout.

Canelo fought Caleb Plant for the undisputed super-middleweight championship. This was a glorious moment for the Mexican because it was a chance to seal his legacy. Plant made life awkward for Alvarez but finally suffered a TKO in the 11th round. It was an incredible moment for Alvarez because he became the first fighter to unify the division.

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2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints (2021)

Drew Brees held almost all of the NFL passing records before he retired in 2021. In 2017, the Saints star became the quickest player in history to reach the 70,000-yard mark. When he hung up his cleats, he had the most completed passes ever. However, he sat back and watched Tom Brady gobble up his accolades. The Bucs’ QB broke Brees’ record and became the first 80,000-yard passer ever in 2021.

But the records keep coming. Brady also has the most touchdown passes as well as the most attempts. Furthermore, the Pats’ icon has the most Super Bowl rings ever. His total of seven wins is more than any individual franchise. That’s because the Steelers and the Patriots both have six Super Bowls to their names (via CBS Sports). Brady is a relentless winning machine who refuses to drop his standards.

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1. Golden State Warriors vs. New York Knicks (2021)

Ray Allen maintained some incredible three-point records in the NBA. Before he retired, Allen hit 2,973 three-pointers in 1300 games. But he didn’t count on the rise of Steph Curry. The Warriors’ icon is the most prolific long-range shooter in NBA history. Curry broke Allen’s longstanding record against the Knicks, finishing with 2,977.

Even more remarkable is how he achieved this feat. Curry only took 789 games to become the all-time leader (via The New York Times). This is ludicrous and at 33, he shows no sign of slowing down. It seems unlikely that anybody will come along to overtake him. However, everybody said the same thing about Allen. In the end, records are made to be broken. Athletes improve over time and records are made to be broken, but this will take something special.

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30 Games Where Hallowed Sports Records Were Broken