Joey Chestnut confirms 2026 contest return, dispels retirement rumors
Joey Chestnut made his return to the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest in 2025, downing 70.5 hot dogs and buns to win his 17th Mustard Belt.
The 41-year-old is planning to once again make the contest a part of his annual calendar after missing the event in 2024.
"I'll be back next year," Chestnut said in a post-contest interview with ESPN.
Chestnut's assurance comes after he was banned from the 2024 Hot Dog Eating Contest amid a contract dispute with Major League Eating (MLE). The spat stemmed from Chestnut's sponsorship with Impossible Foods, which produces plant-based meat alternatives.
It wasn't clear whether the Chestnut and MLE would be able to reconcile ahead of the 2025 event. Ultimately, they did, which cleared the path for hot dog eating champion to win his 17th title and cross the 70-dog plateau for a seventh time.
With Chestnut back in MLE's good graces, it's no surprise he is committed to continuing to participate in the Hot Dog Eating Contest. He has routinely expressed his passion for the sport's biggest event and told the "Pardon My Take" podcast he planned to compete in it as long as he can.
"Retirement would be death," Chestnut said. "I'm doing this thing until the wheels fall off, baby."
They showed no signs of doing so in 2025, and Chestnut even lamented his inability to chomp down a few more franks and get to his record goal of 77 hot dogs eaten.
He will have another chance to break his personal-best of 76 – set in 2021 – at the 2026 edition of the contest.