Published on: January 31, 2026, 08:53h.

Updated on: January 31, 2026, 08:55h.

• Joey Chestnut successfully retained his title at the 4th annual Siegel’s Bagelmania World Bagel Eating Competition held in Las Vegas last Saturday
• He emerged victorious against his toughest challenger by a mere one-eighth of a bagel, marking the closest finish in the event’s history
  

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In a nail-biting contest, Joey Chestnut defended his bagel-eating crown at the fourth annual Siegel’s Bagelmania World Bagel Eating Competition in Las Vegas on January 31.

Chestnut — the holder of the most Major League Eating records across various foods including hot dogs, Twinkies, and hard-boiled eggs — defeated his closest rival by just one-eighth of a bagel.

Chestnut consumed 16 7/8 bagels compared to Patrick Bertoletti’s 16 3/4, creating the closest margin of victory in the event’s history. This minuscule gap is sure to be a constant reminder to Bertoletti whenever he sees a bakery.

Bertoletti came close to Chestnut’s score last year as well, managing 14.5 bagels while Chestnut won with 15.

Feeling the Bagel Fever

The rules for the competition remained consistent: an eight-minute time limit, unlimited plain bagels, mandatory cream cheese, and zero room for dignity.

For his impressive performance, Chestnut earned $5,000 out of a total prize pool of $10,000, along with a champion’s belt and a staggering triglyceride spike of at least 250 mg/dL.

The top five competitors this year included:

3. Geoffrey Esper — 16 1/8 bagels
4. James Webb — 16 bagels
5. Nick Wehry — 13 7/8 bagels

All competitors surpassed their bagel eating records from the previous year.

Esper continues to hold the world record with an incredible 17 3/4 bagels, achieved during the inaugural event’s fierce competition in 2023.

This year’s competition was livestreamed for the first time on TrillerTV, a platform usually focused on combat sports.