Chestnut Chomps His Way to Victory
The crowd at Siegel's Bagelmania was absolutely electric as Joey Chestnut defended his world bagel-eating championship in front of a packed house. This wasn‘t just any eating contest - this was pure athletic drama unfolding with cream cheese and carbs. The world’s top-ranked competitive eater delivered when it mattered most, downing 16 and 7/8 bagels in eight minutes to claim his fourth consecutive title at the iconic Las Vegas deli.
Patrick Bertoletti came charging hard, finishing just an eighth of a bagel behind at 16 3/4, making this one of the closest finishes in the event‘s history. You could feel the tension building as both competitors pushed past their previous year’s performances, with Chestnut beating his 2025 total of 15 bagels. The margin of victory was razor-thin, the kind of finish that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the final second.
Record Chase Falls Short
While Chestnut dominated the competition, Geoffrey Esper's world record of 17 3/4 bagels from January 2023 remained untouched. Esper himself finished third with 16 1/8 bagels, followed by James Webb at exactly 16 bagels and Nick Wehry rounding out the top five with 13 7/8. Every single competitor in the top five surpassed their previous year‘s performance - that’s the mark of athletes who came to compete.
The $10,000 prize pool added serious stakes to an already intense battle. When you‘re talking about that kind of money and championship belts on the line, every bite counts. These aren’t just casual eaters - these are elite athletes operating at the highest level of their sport, and it showed in every single performance.
Global Spotlight on Vegas
For the first time ever, the championship went worldwide through a TrillerTV livestream, bringing the Vegas bagel-eating drama to fans across the globe. This expansion marks a huge moment for competitive eating, taking what's been a beloved local Vegas tradition and putting it on the international stage. The energy of that Siegel's Bagelmania crowd now reaches everywhere.
Siegel's has been serving up authentic New York-style bagels in the desert for over 30 years, consistently earning recognition as the Best Bagels in Las Vegas by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The venue attracts everyone from celebrities to professional athletes, and hosting the world‘s elite competitive eaters just adds another chapter to its legendary status. When you’ve got the world‘s best coming to Vegas to compete, you know you’re witnessing something special.
