Bring the Heat AZ 2026

Thirty-eight competitors converged in Chandler, Arizona, USA on July 18, 2026, setting the stage for a fiercely contested WCA competition across seven disciplines. Hosted at the Greater Phoenix Chinese Christian Church, the single-day meeting featured 11 rounds of intense speedcubing. Throughout the schedule, a competitive regional rivalry emerged between two prolific frontrunners, Jeremy Bulambot and Paul Mahvi, who went head-to-head across multiple finals in pursuit of the weekend silverware.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube contest drew 37 competitors through three rounds of action. In the deciding round, Bulambot captured the victory with a winning average of 6.59 seconds, bolstered by the competition single of 5.51 seconds. Mahvi pushed hard to challenge the mark, securing second place with an average of 7.91 seconds. Matthew Low earned third place on the podium with a 10.26 average, wrapping up the decisive 3x3 results at Bring the Heat AZ 2026.

Bulambot and Mahvi renewed their clash in 3x3x3 One-Handed, an event that featured 26 competitors across two rounds. Bulambot once again claimed the top spot, recording a winning average of 11.11 seconds and the round fastest single of 9.09. Mahvi claimed his second runner-up finish with an average of 14.71 seconds, while Stefan Perry secured third place with an average of 17.69 seconds in the single-handed Rubik's Cube variant.

The momentum shifted when the schedule moved to the big cubes, where Mahvi took control. In the single-round 4x4x4 Cube competition featuring 33 competitors, Mahvi delivered a winning average of 28.28 seconds along with the best single of 25.06 seconds. Bulambot took second place with a 30.42 average, while TJ Hayward rounded out the podium in third with a mark of 41.11 seconds.

Mahvi extended his dominance in the 6x6x6 Cube event, topping a field of 12 competitors with a winning average of 1:32.55 and a best single of 1:26.58. Bulambot chased him home to take second place in 2:09.05, while Samuel Phillips placed third with an average of 2:18.93. The back-and-forth between the two rivals defined the upper tiers of the leaderboards across the larger puzzles.

Away from the direct duel at the top, significant individual breakthroughs unfolded across the tournament floor. Gentry Geiger completed their first ever attempt at Megaminx in 3:47.45 and took on 4x4x4 Cube for the first time in 2:16.88, while recording a massive 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 31.44 seconds, which was 38.6 percent faster than their previous mark. Theodore Paire trimmed 35.8 percent off their Clock personal best with a time of 12.88 seconds and tackled the 4x4x4 Cube for the first time in 2:02.64. Austin Lee Gagnon produced a 35.5 percent improvement in 3x3x3 One-Handed with a personal best of 22.08 seconds, while Chelsea Crawford slashed 29.7 percent from their 4x4x4 Cube best to finish in 52.08 seconds.

Other competitors took on brand-new challenges and broad schedules across the Chandler venue. Ryker Standaert lowered their 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 27.4 percent down to 22.31 seconds while logging first-time attempts in 4x4x4 Cube at 1:20.17 and 3x3x3 One-Handed at 44.01 seconds. Nathan van Ravensway improved their 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 22.6 percent to 1:01.78 and posted first official marks in Clock at 31.16 seconds and Megaminx at 2:14.73. Lucas Louden entered all seven events, registering a Megaminx personal best of 1:16.53 alongside first career marks in 6x6x6 Cube at 5:03.66 and 3x3x3 Blindfolded at 6:10.28. Oliver Reyes took on five events, posting first attempts in 4x4x4 Cube at 2:13.99, 3x3x3 One-Handed at 57.26 seconds, and Megaminx at 2:27.02.

The remaining events crowned their own distinct champions. In Megaminx, Mia Sponseller secured first place among 24 entrants with a winning average of 53.86 seconds and a best single of 50.50 seconds, leading Bulambot in second at 57.07 and Mahvi in third at 1:00.46. Clock saw Emmett Galli take the victory with a 6.85 average, finishing ahead of Mahvi in second at 8.70 and Sean Dominguez in third at 8.97. In 3x3x3 Blindfolded, Matthew Low mastered the memory requirements to win with an average of 1:12.59, followed by Mahvi in second at 2:22.41 and Sawyer Mangum-Bartholomew in third at 2:47.25.

The intense speed cubing program concluded after a full day of action that tested technical precision and stamina. From the heavyweight rivalry that saw Bulambot and Mahvi trade titles across five separate events to the personal bests set throughout the field, this cubing competition delivered high-caliber racing. With 21 podium spots collected by United States competitors, Bring the Heat AZ 2026 provided a memorable showcase of racing in the desert.