UFC on Versus 6 Fight Card: 10 Things Fight Fans Should Do in Washington, D.C.

The UFC is coming to Washington for the first time with UFC on Versus 6, which will take place this Saturday at the Verizon Center and features a bantamweight title fight between Dominick Cruz and challenger Demetrious Johnson.

For fight fans traveling to the city for the event, here are 10 really good ways to kill time and get a flavor of the city.

I've been living in the D.C. area for about 15 years now, and even though I'm now a lowly, mooing suburbanite, I'm still able to offer some locals suggestions that you probably didn't see on your high school field trip.

In addition, most of these are in the same neighborhood as Verizon Center, and those that aren't are designed to appeal to you, the red-blooded American fight fan. Happy travels.

10. Madame Tussauds Wax Museum

Not really my thing, but hey, if you're into it, more power to you.

It's just a few steps from Verizon Center, so it might be worth a visit just to check out the brilliantly lifelike depictions of famous politicians and actors and such.

I'd probably be more inclined to go if tickets weren't like $5,000 apiece.

9. Chinatown

Yes, D.C. does have a Chinatown. Though it is now so small many refer to it as "Chinablock." Isn't that clever?

It's literally on the same block as Verizon Center, so it's close and definitely worth a walk-through. The dramatic Friendship Archway marks the entrance to the neighborhood. Stop by Full Kee for a bowl of shrimp dumpling soup. Tell them I sent you, and a sustained look of confusion will be your reward.

8. National Portrait Gallery

I know, I know. Art is just so...artsy.

But this overlooked museum (right across the street from Verizon Center) has a lot of interesting stuff in it. I especially enjoyed the folk art section, particularly the pictured thing, which is made of old furniture, aluminum foil and even the gold foil wrapping from old wine bottles. I believe it was made by some sort of crazy person. Awesome.

The best part of the museum is that it's free. So don't be shy...go get yourself all cultured up. Your mom will be so proud.

7. Ford's Theater

In addition to being the place where Abraham Lincoln was assasinated, it's still a working theater that always has something going.

Ford's, which is an easy walk from Verizon Center, is actually in the middle of D.C.'s theater district, which also includes the National, Warner, Shakespeare and Wooly Mammoth theaters.

6. Jaleo

You don't have to be a foodie to like Jaleo. You just have to like food.

There are a ton of really good restaurants around Verizon Center (especially in the nearby Penn Quarter neighborhood), but Jaleo is a true original.

The restaurant and its chef, Jose Andres, are generally credited with bringing tapas (basically "small plates," or a whole meal consisting of a lot of different appetizer-size dishes) to America. If you've eaten at a restaurant in the past two years or so, you know how much the idea has caught on.

Andres, who is now popularizing the concept of molecular gastronomy, has appeared more than once on Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations," as well as "Top Chef," "Iron Chef" and the PBS miniseries "Made in Spain."

5. National Museum of Crime and Punishment

One of the newer museums in the city, it opened its doors in 2008 and is not far from Verizon Center.

It's a history of those who commit crimes and the people who try to stop them. It starts with pirates and runs up through today's cyber criminals.

If you like CSI, you'll love the crime museum.

4. Korean War Veterans Memorial

The so-called forgotten war seems to have given rise to the forgotten war memorial.

But this one happens to be one of the more beautiful monuments in the city. The triangular grounds enclose 19 ghostly steel statues that visitors can walk among.

A bit of a hike from the Verizon Center area, but worth a visit if you find yourself on the National Mall and are tired of the same old stuff.

3. National Museum of Health and Medicine

For my money, the most underrated museum in Washington, D.C.

The free museum, which just a couple of weeks ago relocated to a brand-new facility in suburban Silver Spring, has a smallish but fascinating collection of artifacts. It's one part medical history, one part military medicine (from the draconian Civil War to Iraq and Afghanistan) and one part macabre carnival sideshow. The crown jewel of their collection is the bullet that killed Abraham Lincoln.

Not for the squeamish. But if you're not squeamish, it's not to be missed.

2. Adams Morgan

Looking for some post-fight merriment? Adams Morgan is your place.

It's certainly not the only option, and the Verizon Center/Penn Quarter areas (and the entire city, for that matter) offer plenty of choices. But Adams Morgan is the tried-and-true nightlife capital of the Nation's Capital.

Madam's Organ (see what they did there?), a bar and soul food spot, is probably the can't-miss Adams Morgan destination. But with its ecletic taverns, clubs and restaurants (do you like Ethiopian?), this neighborhood is a microchosm of the District's diversity and proof that the city with the button-down rep really does know how to have fun.

1. International Spy Museum

If you thought all those lipstick guns and buttonhole cameras were the stuff of James Bond movies and Cold War novels, you haven't been to the Spy Museum.

Unlike most museums in D.C., this one charges admission. But on the bright side, it's just a block or two away from Verizon Center.

For me, this one never gets old. I could literally spend all day here.