Jon Jones's Reach Extends to Joey Chestnut in Competitive Eating

The hot dog-eating champion shares more similarities with the MMA legend than fans might think.

Joey Chestnut is more than just a renowned hot dog-eating champion.

He is the greatest competitive eater in the history of the world.

Renowned every Fourth of July as the hot dog-eating king, Chestnut set the standard in 2021 by eating 76 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. Since 2007, he has won the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Championship 15 times–and he plans to defend his crown again this July.

Chestnut is also a fan of MMA. His favorite is another unstoppable force–Jon Jones, who is perhaps the greatest fighter to ever compete in the Octagon.

“I’m really happy Jon Jones is coming back to fight,” Chestnut says. “For years and years, I’ve been a big fan. We met briefly in 2011, right after he won the [light heavyweight] title, and I remember how genuinely happy he was to be champ.”

Chestnut knows the feeling. And his competitive juices are still flowing. He will compete this Monday in Santa Monica, California at the inaugural “Wonderful Pistachios Get Crackin’ Eating Championship,” a Major League Eating-certified event. All competitors have eight minutes to crack open and eat as many Wonderful Pistachios as possible, and the champion receives $5,000 and, hopefully, a title belt.

“The trophies break when you pack them on a plane,” Chestnut says. “The belt is better. It makes it more of a title.”

Surprisingly, there are parallels between MMA and competitive eating. Though these are two vastly different fields, both require preparation, endurance, and a mastering of the fundamentals.

“I remember hearing Chael Sonnen talking about how Jones dominates in the cage,” Chestnut says. “That’s how I want opponents to think of me—that right from the start, they don’t have a chance.”

There is also a high level of technique involved in competitive eating, which Chestnut hopes to master with pistachios.

“While I’m eating, I’m eyeballing the next and thinking about where to put my hand,” Chestnut says. “It’s the first time we’ve done this with pistachios, so it’s possible someone executes a technique no one has ever seen. Hopefully that’s me. I’ve done my full practices. The only issues I’ve had so far are cramped hands and a blister on my thumb.”

Chestnut is versatile when it comes to competitive eating. Prepare yourself: he holds a plethora of world records, including hard-boiled eggs (141 eaten in eight minutes), deep fried asparagus (over 12 pounds in 10 minutes), glazed doughnuts (55 in eight minutes), pulled pork sandwiches (45 in 10 minutes), Taco Bell soft tacos (53 in 10 minutes), chicken wings (182 in 30 minutes), hamburgers (103 Krystal Burgers in eight minutes), pork ribs (over 13 pounds in 12 minutes), meat pies (23 six-ounce meat pies in 10 minutes), corned beef sandwiches (20 eight-ounce sandwiches in 10 minutes), shrimp wontons (390 in eight minutes), gyros (30 eight-ounce gyros in 10 minutes), Philly Cheesesteaks (23 six-inch sandwiches in 10 minutes), funnel cake (5.9 pounds in 10 minutes), fish tacos (30 6-ounce fish tacos in five minutes), traditional tacos (126 three-inch tortilla tacos in eight minutes), Mutton sandwiches (81 four-ounce sandwiches), jalapeno poppers (118 in 10 minutes), pepperoni rolls (36 in 10 minutes), and pork roll sandwiches (61.5 four-ounce sandwiches in 10 minutes).

If all of that isn’t enough, Chestnut also holds the world eating record for Twinkies, boysenberry pie, Waffles, burritos, shrimp cocktail, tamales, grilled cheese sandwiches, pastrami sandwiches, gumbo, ice cream sandwiches, poutine and apple pie.

If Chestnut can consume the most pistachios on Monday, then he believes that will be world record No. 55. But, like Jones–who fights for the heavyweight title next week at UFC 285–he still has a lot more to prove.

“I haven’t won in a while,” Chestnut says. “I lost a wings competition in September, then I lost in shrimp cocktail in December. Last year was tough—I broke my tibia and fibula, and my broken leg healed crooked. I’m finally starting to feel better.

“And I didn’t make any new records last year. I’m hoping to set some new ones this year. Jones has a lot left to show, too. I think he beats Gane next week. If he wants me in his corner, I’ll bring the pistachio nuts.”

The pistachio eating contest will be another opportunity for Chestnut to prove he is the best ever within the world of competitive eating. His accolades have allowed him to reach an absurd level of fame, and no matter the contest, it feels like he is always the favorite. Whenever Chestnut is involved, it is far bigger news when he loses than if he wins. Yet all the success has not changed his core, where he is driven by a competitive fire and an insatiable hunger to be the best.

“I’m doing what I love,” says Chestnut. “I love to eat, I love competing, and I really enjoy the travel. And I’m finding new ways to stay hungry.”

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Spann Aims to Extend Winning Streak to Three

Ryan Spann matches up against Nikita Krylov Saturday in the main event of UFC Fight Night.

Overshadowed by the upcoming return of Jon Jones next at UFC 285, this is a light heavyweight battle that will determine the lower half of the top 10. Krylov currently sits at sixth in the division, while Spann is eighth—and the winner will take one step closer to the top five.

Both Spann (21-7) and Krylov (29-9) are riding two-fight win streaks. Even though Spann enjoyed a seven-fight win streak earlier in his career, his past two fights against Ion Cuțelaba and Dominick Reyes—each ending in a first-round finish—have been especially dominant.

“I’ve never been better, and I’m only getting better,” says Spann, 31. “We’ve made some changes, so it’s been gradually improving.”

Spann’s knockout of Reyes took place at Madison Square Garden in November. It was a catchweight bout after Spann narrowly missed weight, but all anyone could talk about at its conclusion was the vicious jab that put an end to Reyes’ night.

“I wanted to hit him with my right, but my left put him out,” Spann says. “He was already falling when I threw my right, so it was an accident. I mean, the right would have got him, but the left already did it.”

A win on Saturday puts Spann in the mix for the title. Though he has five rounds to defeat Krylov, it feels like this fight is going to end much sooner.

“It will be a finish, that’s for sure,” Spann says. “I can’t guarantee whether it will be a knockout or submission. I’ll take whatever he gives me.

“I’m just going to do what I do, and everything is going to line up.”

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The Pick ‘Em Section:

Bellator 291 welterweight title bout: Yaroslav Amosov (c) vs. Logan Storley (ic)

Pick: Yaroslav Amosov

UFC Fight Night light heavyweight bout: Nikita Krylov vs. Ryan Spann

Pick: Ryan Spann

UFC Fight Night middleweight bout: André Muniz vs. Brendan Allen

Pick: André Muniz

UFC Fight Night women’s flyweight bout: Tatiana Suarez vs. Montana De La Rosa

Pick: Tatiana Suarez

Bellator 291 featherweight bout: Pedro Carvalho vs. Jeremy Kennedy

Pick: Jeremy Kennedy

Last week: 5-0

2023 record: 15-10