"3 to 1. Sounds like some die-hard Suga fans could really make some serious cheddar," O'Malley told TMZ Sports earlier this week.

"I know a lot of people always bet on me, it's always kind of hard to make good money on me because I'm always the pretty big favorite. It's very interesting being an underdog. At the end of the day, it doesn't really mean anything to me but it is, it's kinda nice."

27-year-old O'Malley is fighting 29-year-old Yan at UFC 280 on Fight Island ... and the current betting odds put Petr at -400. Suga's +200.

That means you'll have to lay down $400 just to make $100 back on Yan. Meanwhile, you only have to wager $100 to win $200 back on O'Malley.

Typically, betting on Suga to win outright would require risking much more than you stood to win. For example, he was a -330 favorite against Raulian Paiva in December (you'd risk $3 for every $1 you won). Against Petr, you win $2 for every $1 you bet.

Betting aside, Yan, the former champion, is coming off an April loss to now-champ Aljamain Sterling ... a fight that was razer close.

O'Malley, ranked 12th in the division, last fought in July at UFC 276 ... a fight that was declared a no-contest over an accidental eye poke.

The scraps not going down in Las Vegas, or anywhere else in the U.S., Dana White and the UFC are returning to Fight Island on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi (Sean's pumped to fight in the UAE!).

We also talked to Suga about his ascension as one of the sport's biggest stars.

"[Fans are] wanting that next superstar. Conor can come back and still be considered the biggest superstar in the sport. So anytime he fights, he is, but when Conor is gone, when it's all said and done, I wanna be that next guy. I wanna be that guy that everyone gets excited for, everyone and their grandma watches the fight just because."

A win will get Suga -- who flew to Abu Dhabi yesterday -- a step closer to that superstar status.