Joey Chestnut Reclaims Hot Dog Eating Contest Title After Last Year's Absence By Downing 70.5 Franks

The GOAT of eating is back.

Joey Chestnut returned to nan Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest connected Friday aft being ineligible past year, and he was backmost for illustration he ne'er left.

Chestnut downed 70.5 basking dogs and buns for his 17th title successful his past 18 events (he mislaid to Matt Stonie successful 2015).

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Joey Chestnut prepares to compete successful nan men's title astatine Nathan's Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest connected July 4, 2025 successful New York City. Joey Chestnut makes his return to nan Nathan's Famous 4th of July Hot Dog Eating Contest to compete for a 17th triumph aft missing nan 2024 arena owed to a sponsorship conflict pinch Major League Eating.  (Adam Gray/Getty Images)

Chestnut downed 30 dogs successful nan first 3 minutes, already good up of his competition, and he ne'er looked back. He was good connected gait to shatter his grounds of 76 dogs and buns successful nan 10-minute clip frame, downing 46 successful nan first half of nan competition.

He began to slow down, putting down conscionable 11 successful nan adjacent 2 minutes, but he had practically already clinched nan win. For reference, he ate 58 basking dogs, nan winning number past year, successful nan first seven-and-a-half minutes. Now, it was a pursuit for nan record.

Fatigue group in, and he fell short of his grounds by five. But, it was nan champion capacity successful nan arena since he group nan grounds backmost successful 2021. It is nan seventh clip Chestnut cracked nan 70 mark.

This was Chestnut’s 20th quality successful nan event, tying nan all-time record.

Last year's champ, Patrick Betoletti, vanished pinch 46.5 dogs and buns.

Chestnut was not eligible to participate successful past year’s arena aft he signed a woody pinch Impossible Foods, a rival of Nathan’s. 

But past month, Chestnut announced that he and nan organizers had recovered communal crushed connected sponsorships. 

FILE - Joey Chestnut, victor of nan 2021 Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest, poses for photos successful Coney Island's Maimonides Park, July 4, 2021, successful nan Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Brittainy Newman, File)

"I’m thrilled to beryllium returning to nan Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest. This arena intends nan world to me. It’s a cherished tradition, a ceremony of American culture, and a immense portion of my life," Chestnut wrote connected X.

"While I person and proceed to partner pinch a assortment of companies, including immoderate successful nan plant-based space, those relationships were ne'er a conflict pinch my emotion for basking dogs. To beryllium clear: Nathan’s is nan only basking canine institution I’ve ever worked with.

"I respect that location were differences successful interpretation, but I’m grateful we’ve been capable to find communal ground. I’m excited to beryllium backmost connected nan Coney Island stage, doing what I unrecorded to do, and celebrating nan Fourth of July pinch basking dogs successful my hands! Stay hungry!"

Joey Chestnut visits "The Claman Countdown" pinch big Liz Claman astatine Fox Business Network Studios connected July 02, 2025 successful New York City. (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

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Chestnut was evidently nan overwhelming favourite to triumph it each – he group a popcorn-eating world grounds backmost successful May.

Fox News’ Scott Thompson contributed to this report.

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