July 3 (UPI) — The 2026 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest introduced this year’s slate of competitors, including 17-time champion Joey Chestnut, at a weigh-in ceremony Friday.
The Friday ceremony at the flagship Nathan’s Famous location in Coney Island, Brooklyn, introduced the 14 men and 10 women who will compete to see who can eat the most hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes at Saturday’s annual Fourth of July contest.
Chestnut, a 17-time champion and the current holder of the coveted Mustard Belt, predicted he will emerge victorious again this year.
“I’m hungry, and I’m going to dominate,” Chestnut, who downed 70.5 hot dogs in last year’s contest, said at the weigh-in.
Miki Sudo, the reigning women’s champion with 11 titles to her name, also predicted a repeat of her 2025 performance, where she finished 33 hot dogs and buns.
“It’s hot, but I’m bringing the heat,” she said. “I was born for this.”
The field of competitors this year features eaters from across the United States, as well as eaters from Britain, Australia and the Czech Republic.