Joey “Jaws” Chestnut reclaimed the Mustard Yellow Belt at Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest, polishing off 70.5 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes on Coney Island. The victory marked the 41-year-old’s 17th title in 20 appearances and his first since a sponsorship dispute kept him out of last year’s event. Chestnut’s total comfortably outpaced 2024 champion Patrick Bertoletti, who finished with about 46 hot dogs, yet fell short of the world record 76 franks he set in 2021. The Indiana native told spectators he “wanted a few more” but was satisfied to be back on the contest’s traditional stage after resolving his disagreement over a deal with plant-based maker Impossible Foods. The women’s competition was similarly familiar: Tampa-based Miki Sudo captured her 11th crown by eating 33 hot dogs, well below the 51 she recorded a year earlier but enough to outdistance Michelle Lesco and the rest of a 13-woman field. Fifteen men and 13 women from five countries took part in the Independence Day spectacle, which has been held outside the original Nathan’s restaurant since 1972 and awards winners $10,000 apiece. Organizers said roughly 1,400 hot dogs were prepared for competitors, VIPs and the crowd that packed Surf and Stillwell avenues to watch the ESPN-televised event.