It was all about the numbers on Coney Island. America’s 250th birthday, 100-degree-plus heat, and still over 25,000 showed up to watch the 112th annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Competition. Why wouldn’t they? After all, they were there to see Joey Chestnut, a superstar in his own right. And he showed the crowd, and those watching on, exactly why he’s called Jaws as he retained his title.

It truly was a majestic performance from the 42-year-old, beating 2024 champion Pat Bertoletti by a formidable margin. Still, it was not quite record-breaking, as Chestnut won by eating 66 hot dogs. The record is 76, set by Chestnut himself in 2021 when he won his 14th title. This now marked his 18th title in the competition. 

It’s such a feat that even the iconic Takeru “Tsunami” Kobayashi’s record looks pale in comparison. The Japanese star won six straight titles between 2001 and 2006. Chestnut has now won 10 out of the last 11 competitions. He missed the 2024 edition after being banned for signing an endorsement deal with a rival company.

Nathan and the American star settled things, and he returned to winning in 2025. However, despite his performance, Joey Chestnut was still not happy, as he believes the heat affected him.

“Oh yeah, it did,” Chestnut told ESPN (via Mercury News) when asked if the heat hurt his progress. “I’m not gonna go in looking for excuses. It slowed me down. There’s room for improvement.”

However, his participation was doubtful before the competition. The 42-year-old pleaded guilty in April to a misdemeanor battery charge and was sentenced to probation. Fans even believed that Major League Eating wouldn’t allow him to compete. However, Richard Shea, the co-founder and president of MLE, refuted those claims.

“This incident did not violate Major League Eating’s code of conduct, as it occurred outside any organizational event or activity, and it was addressed by local authorities,” Shea said.

While Chestnut reclaimed the spotlight on the men’s side, the women’s contest produced another familiar champion.

Miki Sudo wins the women’s hot dog eating competition

If Joey Chestnut is the greatest-ever Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Competition participant ever, Miki Sudo is a close second. The Japanese professional eater is a superstar in her own right and showed exactly why by winning her 12th straight title. That’s a feat even Chestnut can’t match, and Sudo did it by walloping down 38.75 hot dogs in the process.

“Today was not the day to lose, just to be honest. You know, we’ve got the broadcast with America 250 on ABC. It is America 250, so there’s that added celebration — extra eyes on us,” Sudo told The New York Post.

“And the crowd really just pushed me through to 12th belt. I didn’t want to lose, especially with my family in the crowd.”

Sudo’s 2026 performances improved on her tally of 33 last year. But it still couldn’t match her record of 51, which she set in 2024. This year, the second place went to Michelle Lesco (22).