Bertoletti and Sudo win Nathan's hot dog contest after Chestnut's controversy.

• Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, held annually on July 4, saw Patrick Bertoletti emerge victorious in the men's division after consuming 58 dogs, while Miki Sudo won the women's division with 51 dogs.
• The beef between Joey Chestnut and Major League Eating made the contest more open than it has been in recent years.
• Last month, MLE declared that it was ending its partnership with Chestnut due to a rule prohibiting participants from endorsing competitors of Nathan's hot dog brand.

There's a new top dog in the frankfurter eating world.

Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, held annually on July 4, saw Patrick Bertoletti emerge victorious, marking the end of an era after 16-time winner Joey Chestnut's falling out with the event's organizer, Major League Eating.

In the 10-minute event, Bertoletti, a 39-year-old man from Illinois, consumed 58 hot dogs and won the Mustard Yellow Belt in the men's category. Miki Sudo, a woman, set a new record in the women's division with 51 wieners downed. The beef between Chestnut and MLE made this year's contest more open than in previous years.

Last month, MLE announced that it was ending its partnership with Chestnut, citing a rule that prohibits participants from endorsing rivals of Nathan's hot dog maker. MLE claimed at the time that Chestnut had partnered with a plant-based meat alternative company. Recently, Chestnut, also known as "Jaws," has been posting images on Instagram featuring Impossible Foods.

"The MLE stated in June that Joey and his managers have prioritized a new partnership with a different hot dog brand over their long-time relationship, despite working under the same basic hot dog exclusivity provisions for nearly two decades."

Chestnut stated that he was "devastated" upon learning about his banishment from the media after 19 years. The 40-year-old maintained that he did not have a contract with MLE or Nathan's and argued that the endorsement ban was a violation of the organization's previous rules regarding partnerships.

Last month, he stated, "I love competing in that event, celebrating America with my fans across this great country on the 4th, and I have been training to defend my title."

The MLE has called Chestnut an "American hero" and expressed its desire for him to return when not representing a Nathan's competitor. Chestnut holds eating records in 55 categories, including eggs, chicken wings, and apple pies, as the MLE informed NBC News.

Nathan's website still lauds Chestnut, with the New York-based company declaring in a 2023 win announcement that "there's no doubt in our mind who's the king."

ESPN mentioned Chestnut and the competition without him during the 2024 contest, comparing him to Warren Buffett of the buffet in one reference.

Chestnut fans can still see him in action this holiday.

A hot dog eating contest is being livestreamed from Fort Bliss army base in Texas as a charity fundraiser, as per a recent Instagram post. The show will start at 5 p.m. ET on Thursday.

"If I wasn't celebrating by eating a whole lot of all-beef hot dogs, the 4th wouldn't be the same," he wrote.