Joey Chestnut, the defending men’s champion, is seeking his 18th title at the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on Saturday. The 17-time Mustard Belt winner returned to the competition last year after a one-year ban stemming from a sponsorship dispute with plant-based food competitor Impossible Foods. Chestnut dominated his comeback, consuming 70.5 hot dogs in 10 minutes, beating his closest competitor by 24 hot dogs. His dominance has been remarkable over his career, with a world record of 76 hot dogs set in 2021.
On the women’s side, Miki Sudo is defending her title in pursuit of her 12th overall championship. The 11-time Nathan’s champion holds the women’s world record with 51 hot dogs consumed in 2024. Last year, Sudo won her 11th title with 33 hot dogs, and she continues to be the most formidable force in women’s competitive eating.
The contest takes place annually on July 4 at the iconic corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues in Coney Island, Brooklyn, an event that has been held since 1972. This year’s competition carries extra significance as it coincides with America’s 250th birthday, and for the first time, the men’s competition will air on ABC alongside its traditional ESPN platforms, expanding viewership to millions more.
Chestnut is an overwhelming favorite to repeat. Betting odds reflect his dominance, with him listed as a massive favorite at major sportsbooks, attracting more wagers than all other competitors combined. Patrick Bertoletti, who won the men’s title in 2024 when Chestnut was absent, returns as a challenger after consuming 58 hot dogs last year. Other notable competitors include James Webb of Australia, Radim Dvořáček of the Czech Republic, and Max Stanford of England.
On the women’s side, Michelle Lesco, the 2021 champion, presents a significant challenge to Sudo. Other competitors include Domenica Dee, Tandra Childress, and Katie Prettman. Despite a strong field, most observers expect Sudo to successfully defend her belt, though she acknowledged the unpredictable variables at the official weigh-in on Friday.
“All I can do is show up in the best shape that I can,” Sudo said at Hudson Yards, where competitors were officially certified. “Because there are so many factors that I can’t control, whether it be the weather, the humidity, the hot dogs.”
The event will draw thousands of in-person spectators at Coney Island, with an estimated 40,000 fans typically gathering to watch the spectacle. The women’s competition begins at 10:45 a.m. ET on ESPN+ and the ESPN app, with the men’s contest starting at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and 12:30 p.m. ET on ABC. Temperatures are expected to climb into the 90s during the event, adding another challenge for the competitors.
The Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest has become an integral part of American Independence Day tradition. Though the contest officially began in 1972, the event is steeped in mythology. A popular legend long claimed it started in 1916 when four immigrants gathered at Nathan’s original Coney Island stand to settle a patriotic debate. In 2010, promoter Morty Matz admitted this origin story was fabricated in the early 1970s as a publicity stunt, though the legend persists.
The competition is governed by Major League Eating and has strict rules designed to ensure fairness and safety. Competitors have exactly 10 minutes to consume as many hot dogs and buns as possible. Any food not swallowed counts against a competitor, and partial hot dogs are measured in eighths. If competitors are tied when time expires, a five-hot-dog eat-off determines the winner.
Chestnut’s return to dominance represents a remarkable chapter in competitive eating history. After his ban in 2024, he returned in 2025 with his trademark intensity and strategic eating approach. He told the crowd at Friday’s weigh-in: “I’m hungry, and I’m going to dominate.”
For Sudo, the challenge is maintaining her remarkable record of success. She has won all but one year since 2014, establishing herself as the most dominant female competitive eater in history. Her pursuit of a 12th title would further cement her legacy in a sport that has transformed from carnival sideshow to televised national spectacle.
The contest will also mark the continuation of a decades-long rivalry that has captured millions of viewers. Kobayashi’s revolutionary training methods in the early 2000s transformed competitive eating into a serious discipline. Chestnut’s arrival in the late 2000s brought even greater intensity, and his near-decade-long winning streak has made him a household name among July 4th traditions.
With the expanded television coverage on ABC this year, the contest is poised to reach wider audiences than ever before, as Chestnut and Sudo pursue their quests for additional championship belts and records that may prove difficult for future competitors to eclipse.