Finally my first ball python/snake!

Congratulations!!! Your snake is a real beauty!

Thanks! It's taking a lot of self control not to take him out :P

If the snake was eating hoppers before you got it, then that's what you give it--if it was eat rat fuzzies, then you should offer one of those, instead. (It's really best to keep a snake on rats if it's started on rats--they're a better food item in general).

Try elevating the bin on wood blocks. Did the UTH get that hot when the dimmer was set to low? If so, I would say that's either a defective (and dangerous) UTH, or a defective dimmer. A UTH can get that hot if there is no air flow around it, and it's not controlled.
There should always be air flow beneath or above a UTH--the tub should be elevated slightly to let air flow beneath it when you use a UTH. You can use those little rubber stick-on feet, or just put little bits of wood, thread spools, etc underneath to raise it up.