The renowned Joey Chestnut has further cemented his legacy in the competitive eating world by winning his 18th title at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. He dominated the competition in Coney Island by consuming 66 hot dogs and buns. This marks his 10th consecutive victory, although he missed the 2024 contest due to sponsorship conflicts.

During the event, Chestnut faced tough competition. Defending champion Patrick Bertoletti and another competitor, James Webb, kept pace with him for the first 90 seconds. However, as the contest progressed, Chestnut began to build a significant lead. By the three-minute mark, he had already consumed 28 hot dogs, compared to Webb’s 22 and Bertoletti’s 21. At the halfway point, Chestnut had eaten 42 hot dogs, establishing a lead of 10 wieners.

Despite his strong performance, Chestnut started to struggle as fatigue set in. The high temperatures also took a toll. Nevertheless, he reached 60 hot dogs with 60 seconds remaining and completed with a total of 66, securing his victory. Chestnut remained calm throughout the contest, aware that breaking the record was unlikely early on.

Notably, Chestnut participated while on probation for a misdemeanor battery charge, which involved an incident in an Indiana bar earlier in the year. Permission was granted for him to travel to New York for this event.

In the women’s competition, Miki Sudo claimed victory with 39 hot dogs and buns. She has won all 12 contests she has entered since her first win in 2014.