'The Bachelor' recap: 'The Countdown to Juan Pablo' reveals a diverse group of women ready to fight for the former professional soccer player's heart

Juan Pablo Galavis wasn't the one for Desiree Hartsock during season 9 of The Bachelorette, but now the tables have turned and the 32-year-old single dad and former professional soccer player is the one in charge for The Bachelor's 18th season on ABC, and he's got 25 ladies to choose from.

In the first segment of the highly-anticipated season premiere, "The Countdown to Juan Pablo," fans got an inside look at some of the women who are in it to win his heart and how the selection process was put in play to hopefully find "the one" who could potentially be a stepmother for his 4-year-old daughter Camila.

Of course there were sneak peeks revealing romantic moments in the upcoming episodes. There will be making out on a mountain. Making out in the ocean. Making out under a waterfall. The usual.

First and foremost, the episode featured a look at some of the audition videos and taped casting interviews, which included a girl demonstrating how she could fit her fist in her mouth, naturally, and one girl admitted that she auditioned for the show because she didn't want to just watch The Golden Girls alone every night. Speaking of Golden Girls, a grandma showed up in an audition tape insisting that her granddaughter was more than qualified for the beauty pageant. Maybe she was a little confused. Maybe not.

Some women were immediately ruled out, like the ones who said they didn't like kids or may or may not be bisexual. But the girls who would likely stick around seemed excited when they found out Juan Pablo was the bachelor this season. The chosen 25 women were surprised in person in their hometowns with a rose.

It's a pretty diverse group. There is a first grade teacher, a marketing manager, and then there is Lucy, whose occupation was labeled as "free spirit."

Like every season of the show, it starts with giving fans a full look into the life of the bachelor, and in this case, we got a look into Juan Pablo's past, coming from Venezuela and becoming a professional soccer player. The kicker, no pun intended, was seeing him with his daughter Camila. Whether at the playground or singing together in the car, he likely got points from many women viewers for looking like a great dad.

Part of the episode took a look into Juan Pablo's family life at pool party, at which his girl cousins said out of all of the relatives, he would be the one to make out with 25 women. But on a more serious note, his dad wished him good luck and insisted he keep an open mind and think about Camila.

At the end of the episode, they paid tribute to previous contestant on the show, Gia Allemand, who died earlier this year. Other cast members from past seasons who knew her spoke about what an open heart she had and how she made a difference in their lives.

Tomorrow night, Jan. 6, Juan Pablo's journey begins when the ladies will exit the limo and start their journey in a house full of estrogen and competition. Let the battle begin!