Competitive eating champion Takeru Kobayashi may be forced to sit out of Nathan’s Famous Hotdog Eating Competition in Coney Island, New York this year due to a sore jaw.

From eating too many hotdogs…

…and he’s the hotdog eating champ!

Thank you, Lady Irony…thank you.


Yup, Kobayashi has been diagnosed with a form of temporomandibular joint disorder, pain in the joint that connects the lower jaw to his skull. These days, he can only open his big mouth as wide as a fingertip without suffering extreme pain. He fears he may not be able to take the Mustard Belt for the sixth time in a row at this year’s Nathan's battle.

"The only thing I can say is that the health and safety of our eaters is a top priority," Major League Eating spokesman George Shea told ABC News.