Joey Chestnut faces a rival’s challenge after being eliminated from Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest

By Ben Church, CNN

(CNN) — There is a glaring omission from the men’s competition at Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest this year.

That’s because Dynastic hot dog eating contest champion Joey Chestnut isn’t competing after making a deal with plant-based food company Impossible Foods.

Chestnut has won the Mustard Yellow Belt 16 times and in 2021 ate a world record 76 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes.

If Chestnut missed Nathan’s contest, he wouldn’t let Independence Day pass without taking on a food challenge.

The 40-year-old will take part in his own showcase event, competing against four U.S. Army soldiers in an “all-beef” hot dog eating contest at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.

The competition, which aims to raise money for military families, will last five minutes and Chestnut will keep an eye on his rivals competing in Coney Island.

Chestnut reportedly said he hoped to eat more hot dogs in five minutes than the winner of Nathan’s Contest did in 10 minutes.

“I think 56 is doable,” he said, according to USA Today. “I would be very happy.”

Chestnut’s challenge will be live streamed on his YouTube channel and is scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m. ET.

Nathan’s competition, meanwhile, will be broadcast on ESPN, with the women’s competition beginning at 10:45 a.m. ET and the men’s competition at 12:00 p.m. ET.

What about next year?

The Major League Eating (MLE) organization, which oversees the world-famous event, has stressed that Chestnut is not banned from participating for life, citing his 20-year association with the league. The organization said that in order for Chestnut to return, he will have to give up contracts with brands that compete with Nathan’s.

“Joey Chestnut is an American hero. We would love nothing more than to have him compete in Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest, which he has dominated for years. We hope he returns when he’s not representing a competing brand,” MLE said in a statement.

An account under Chestnut’s name posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday that he “does not have a contract with MLE or Nathans and they are trying to change the rules of the past few years regarding other partners I can work with.”

CNN has not independently confirmed the authenticity of the X account.

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CNN’s Erika Tulfo contributed reporting.