He caused a scene at the hot dog eating contest although he didn’t compete for the title this year.

After his rival, Joey Chestnut, won the annual Nathan’s International Hot Dog Eating Contest, Takeru Kobayashi was arrested at Coney Island.

According to a representative for Kobayashi and a New York police officer at the Brooklyn precinct booking desk, the six-time champion of the contest was trying to make his way on stage after this year’s event.

Maggie James, Kobayashi’s spokeswoman, said Sunday night that the incident was not a publicity stunt.

Referring to a dispute that kept Kobayashi from the table this year, James said, “He got excited when people chanted his name after the contest…so he jumped up on the stage because he wanted his fans to see him and (he thought) maybe they would chant, ‘Let him eat.’”

Because of a contract dispute with Major League Eating, Kobayashi—who took home the title every year from 2001 to 2006—did not compete. He watched from the stands.

(article and video source: CNN, photo source: ESPN)