Joey Chestnut is not ready to say goodbye to Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.
When asked whether he would consider returning to the competition, Chestnut, 40, exclusively told Us Weekly he “absolutely” would.
“They have to be reasonable,” he said on Sunday, September 1, at Netflix’s Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef press conference. “I’d love to go back because this year I have to eat hot dogs without dunking … I have a hybrid method of dunking and not dunking. Because I think this contest has made me even better.”
Chestnut was barred from competing in the annual contest this year after allegedly signing a deal with Impossible Foods, the maker of plant-based meat substitutes.
“By all my old agreements, I should have been able to work with Impossible Foods, and they changed the agreement this year,” he explained to Us at Luxor’s HyperX Arena in Las Vegas.
Despite his support for Impossible Foods, Chestnut noted that he “definitely wouldn’t go vegan” but has dabbled with a plant-based diet when “recovering” from training or events.
“I enjoy the health benefits. I enjoy the way my body feels afterwards,” he said. “There’s nothing more personal than your body. And I try not to tell people what to do with their body, and even [when] people tell me what to do with my body, I don’t like it.”
In June, a spokesperson for Major League Eating noted that the decision to eliminate Chestnut from the competition came after he supported “another hot dog brand” instead of Nathan’s.
“We are devastated to learn that Joey Chestnut has chosen to represent a rival brand that sells plant-based hot dogs rather than competing in the 2024 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest,” Major League Eating said in a statement.
Chestnut responded to the ban later that day, calling the decision “very disappointing.” He wrote via Instagram, “To set the record straight, I do not have a contract with MLE or Nathan’s and they are looking to change the rules from past years as it relates to other partners I can work with. This is apparently the basis on which I’m being banned, and it doesn’t impact the July 4th contest.”
The following day, it was announced that the 16-time hot dog eating champion would go head-to-head with Takeru Kobayashi, a six-time champion, in a Netflix special. Chestnut and Kobayashi’s competition is their first face-off in 15 years.
Ahead of the matchup, Chestnut told Us that competing against Kobayashi, 46, makes him a better player and “hit numbers that are pretty impressive.” Chestnut added, “I’m going to do my best, and I’m hoping that I’ll come out on top.”
Kobayashi, for his part, joked that he’s “past” his peak but is still ready to take on Chestnut. “I think whoever wins this is going to be No. 1 in the world!” he said via a translator. “I think the winner will declare the world record.”
Kobayashi added that his competition against Chestnut will be the last matchup between the two of them. “So you have to watch,” he said.
Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef airs live on Netflix Monday, September 2, at 3 p.m. ET.
With reporting by Rachel Smith