Joey Chestnut, the 16-time champion of the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating contest, will not compete in the annual Fourth of July event next month, Major League Eating announced Tuesday.
A spokesperson for Major League Eating (MLE) told ESPN that Chestnut had chosen to “represent another hot dog brand” and therefore would not be allowed to participate in the Nathan’s contest, which is held annually at New York City’s Coney Island.
Chestnut, competitive eating’s biggest star who has won the event eight years in a row, reportedly agreed to a sponsorship deal with Impossible Foods, a company that makes plant-based hot dogs, and a competing company to Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs.