For the first time since 2005, Joey Chestnut will not compete at the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest.

The 16-time Mustard Yellow Belt winner, who set a word record by eating 76 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes in 2021, will be absent from Coney Island this Fourth of July after being banned from the competition.

Fans showed their disappointment on social media leading up to the 2024 event:

Chestnut’s split with the annual competition came after the competitive eater partnered for a brand deal with Impossible Foods, a company that makes “meat from plants.”

Major League Eating, which oversees the annual Nathan’s competition at Coney Island, announced on May 6 that Chestnut had “chosen to represent a rival brand that sells plant-based hot dogs rather than competing.”

“It seems that Joey and his managers have prioritized a new partnership with a different hot dog brand over our long-time relationship,” MLE wrote.

The Nathan’s contest will now feature a field led by Geoffrey Esper, James Webb, Nick Wehry and Patrick Bertoletti. Miki Sudo meanwhile won the women’s field by eating 51 hot dogs.

This is not the first time MLE has split with a former champion. The event banned Chestnut’s rival, Takeru Kobayashi, in 2010 due to a different contract dispute.

Fans who missed seeing Chestnut compete in Brooklyn will have other opportunities to watch both former champions. The two former Nathan’s champions will compete in a September 2 hot dog eating contest (h/t ESPN) that will be streamed on Netflix.

In the meantime, Chestnut is celebrating July 4th with a five-minute eating contest against soldiers at El Paso’s Fort Bliss army base.