Major League Eating insists it was Joey Chestnut’s decision not to vie for his 17th Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating title in 18 years in Brooklyn, New York, this Fourth of July.

Chestnut says that’s bologna.

What’s not in dispute is that Chestnut’s absence stems from a new sponsorship deal he has with Impossible Foods, which makes a plant-based hot dog. That’s sacrilege to Nathan’s, apparently, but it’s not like Chestnut’s gone vegan. To wit, he’ll rekindle his rivalry with six-time Nathan’s champ Takeru Kobayashi on Sept. 2 in a one-on-one Netflix competition in which the pair will consume all-beef franks.

Only once since 2001 has someone other than those two competitors walked away from Coney Island a winner on Independence Day.

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